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Maine
Statistics on children, youth and families in Maine from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Maine Children's Alliance
Why This Indicator Matters
Having an overall count by age group and county helps understand issues of access and service use by county. Seeing trends over time of populations in age groups can pinpoint counties that are gaining or losing population.
What the data shows
For Maine as a whole, the child population had been declining each year. since 2012. However, in both 2021 and 2022, there were more children than in 2019 or 2020. There were 249,306 children in Maine in 2022, down from 265,918 in 2012. For children ages 5-17, there were 187,186 children in 2022, compared to 199,014 in 2012. The number of children ages birth to 4 years old has continued to decline each and every year. There were 66,904 children under age 5 in Maine in 2012 and in 2022, there were 62,120. Looking at 5 years instead of 10 years, between 2017 and 2022, there were 3,328 fewer children overall, 946 fewer children ages 5 to 17 and 2,382 fewer children ages 0 -4.
At the county level, between 2017 and 2022, two counties had a gain in population of children under age 5, Piscataquis (+166) and Lincoln (+76) and all the other counties lost population for this age group with the largest loss being in Androscoggin County (-449). For children ages 5 -17, eight counties lost child population and eight gained. Along with Piscataquis and Lincoln, the other counties that gained for this age group were: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox and Sagadahoc.
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What the data shows
For Maine as a whole, the child population had been declining each year. since 2012. However, in both 2021 and 2022, there were more children than in 2019 or 2020. There were 249,306 children in Maine in 2022, down from 265,918 in 2012. For children ages 5-17, there were 187,186 children in 2022, compared to 199,014 in 2012. The number of children ages birth to 4 years old has continued to decline each and every year. There were 66,904 children under age 5 in Maine in 2012 and in 2022, there were 62,120. Looking at 5 years instead of 10 years, between 2017 and 2022, there were 3,328 fewer children overall, 946 fewer children ages 5 to 17 and 2,382 fewer children ages 0 -4.
At the county level, between 2017 and 2022, two counties had a gain in population of children under age 5, Piscataquis (+166) and Lincoln (+76) and all the other counties lost population for this age group with the largest loss being in Androscoggin County (-449). For children ages 5 -17, eight counties lost child population and eight gained. Along with Piscataquis and Lincoln, the other counties that gained for this age group were: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox and Sagadahoc.
Definition and Source
PROVIDER
Definition
The number of children under 18 by the following age groups: birth to under age 5 years old; ages 5 through 17; and Total under age 18.
The age group of birth to under age 5 years old means up until age 4 and 364 days and total under 18 means up until age 17 and 364 days.
The age group of birth to under age 5 years old means up until age 4 and 364 days and total under 18 means up until age 17 and 364 days.
Data Source
Last Updated
September 2023