List of municipalities in Maine
Maine is a state located in Northeastern United States. According to the 2010 United States Census, Maine is the 9th least populous state, with 1,328,361 inhabitants, but the 12th smallest by land area spanning 30,842.92 square miles (79,882.8 km2) of land.[1] Maine is divided into 16 counties and contains 483 incorporated municipalities consisting of cities, towns, and plantations.[2]

As of 2022, Maine has 23 incorporated cities, 430 towns, and 30 plantations, listed in the below tables.
Gallery
List of cities
† County seat
†† State capital and county seat
The list, for each city, shows the population in 2010, the population estimate of 2019, the growth/shrinking percentage between the three, and the date of incorporation as a city.
2019 Rank | City | 2019 Estimate | 2010 Census | Change | County | Incorporation (town) |
Incorporation (city) |
Land area (sq mi) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Portland † | 66,215 | 66,194 | +0.03% | Cumberland | 1786 | 1833 | 21.6 |
2 | Lewiston | 36,225 | 36,592 | −1.00% | Androscoggin | 1795 | 1862 | 34.2 |
3 | Bangor † | 32,262 | 33,039 | −2.35% | Penobscot | 1791 | 1834 | 34.3 |
4 | South Portland | 25,532 | 25,002 | +2.12% | Cumberland | 1895 | 1898 | 12.1 |
5 | Auburn † | 23,414 | 23,055 | +1.56% | Androscoggin | 1842 | 1868 | 59.3 |
6 | Biddeford | 21,504 | 21,277 | +1.07% | York | 1653 | 1855 | 30.1 |
7 | Sanford | 21,223 | 20,798 | +2.04% | York | 1768 | 2013 | 47.8 |
8 | Saco | 19,964 | 18,482 | +8.02% | York | 1775 | 1867 | 38.6 |
9 | Westbrook | 19,074 | 17,494 | +9.03% | Cumberland | 1814 | 1891 | 17.2 |
10 | Augusta †† | 18,697 | 19,136 | −2.29% | Kennebec | 1797 | 1849 | 55.2 |
11 | Waterville | 16,558 | 15,722 | +5.32% | Kennebec | 1802 | 1888 | 13.5 |
12 | Brewer | 9,035 | 9,482 | −4.71% | Penobscot | 1812 | 1889 | 15.2 |
13 | Presque Isle | 9,007 | 9,692 | −7.07% | Aroostook | 1859 | 1940 | 75.8 |
14 | Bath † | 8,338 | 8,514 | −2.07% | Sagadahoc | 1781 | 1847 | 9.1 |
15 | Ellsworth † | 8,180 | 7,741 | +5.67% | Hancock | 1800 | 1869 | 79.3 |
16 | Caribou | 7,593 | 8,189 | −7.28% | Aroostook | 1859 | 1967 | 79.3 |
17 | Old Town | 7,431 | 7,840 | −5.22% | Penobscot | 1840 | 1891 | 38.8 |
18 | Rockland † | 7,165 | 7,297 | −1.81% | Knox | 1848 | 1854 | 12.8 |
19 | Belfast † | 6,679 | 6,668 | +0.16% | Waldo | 1773 | 1850 | 34.0 |
20 | Gardiner | 5,653 | 5,800 | −2.53% | Kennebec | 1803 | 1849 | 15.7 |
21 | Calais | 3,005 | 3,123 | −3.78% | Washington | 1809 | 1850 | 34.3 |
22 | Hallowell | 2,381 | 2,381 | 0.00% | Kennebec | 1771 | 1852 | 5.9 |
23 | Eastport | 1,265 | 1,331 | −4.96% | Washington | 1798 | 1893 | 3.6 |
List of towns
This is a list of incorporated towns in Maine presented in a table sortable by name, county, or population. Towns in Maine with significantly large populations include Brunswick and Scarborough with populations of 20,535 and 20,991, respectively, as of 2019.
List of plantations
A plantation in Maine is an organized form of municipal self-government similar to but with less power than a town or a city. One difference is that plantations cannot make local ordinances. Unlike towns or cities, with few exceptions, this type of municipality usually includes the word Plantation as part of its full name, which is also commonly used locally. There are some exceptions such as Monhegan Island Plantation, which is most commonly known as Monhegan (whether referring to the island, or to the community on that island). In this listing an asterisk (*) indicates those municipalities whose name is more commonly referenced without the type descriptor.
Annexations
The former City of Deering was set off from Westbrook and incorporated as a town in 1871, and was incorporated as a city in 1889. Deering was annexed in 1899 by the City of Portland.[4]
Deorganized municipalities
Deorganization of a town or plantation currently requires approval of the Maine legislature and a two-thirds majority in a local referendum.[5] As of 2021, 53 towns and plantations had been deorganized.[6] In modern times, the primary motivations for deorganization have been to reduce property taxes, and alleviate a shortage of people willing to work in municipal government. Responsibilities for roads, police, voting, and licensing are taken over by county and state governments. Education is often already handled by neighboring school districts. In some cases, property taxes are concentrated on a small number of residents due to vast forests untaxed due to conservation programs or the state Tree Growth program.[7][8]
Municipality | County | Year of deorganization[6] |
---|---|---|
Township 6N of Weld | Franklin | 1878 |
Kossuth | Washington | 1895 |
Lambert Lake | Washington | 1903 |
Mattamiscontis | Penobscot | 1907 |
Fletchers Landing | Hancock | 1913 |
Muscle Ridge | Knox | 1916 |
Perkins | Sagadahoc | 1918 |
Grafton | Oxford | 1919 |
Forest City | Washington | 1924 |
Criehaven | Knox | 1925 |
Long Pond | Somerset | 1929 |
Chesuncook | Piscataquis | 1933 |
Lang | Franklin | 1935 |
Mason | Oxford | 1936 |
Mayfield | Somerset | 1937 |
Albany | Oxford | 1937 |
Edmunds | Washington | 1938 |
Freeman | Franklin | 1938 |
Argyle | Penobscot | 1938 |
Marion | Washington | 1939 |
Concord | Somerset | 1939 |
Lexington | Somerset | 1940 |
Bigelow | Somerset | 1940 |
Williamsburg | Piscataquis | 1940 |
Silver Ridge | Aroostook | 1941 |
Brookton | Washington | 1942 |
Unity Plantation | Kennebec | 1942 |
Milton Plantation | Oxford | 1944 |
Salem | Franklin | 1945 |
Kingman | Penobscot | 1945 |
Trescott | Washington | 1945 |
Orneville | Piscataquis | 1945 |
Connor | Aroostook | 1945 |
Flagstaff | Somerset | 1951 |
Dead River | Somerset | 1951 |
Grand Falls | Penobscot | 1981 |
Barnard | Piscataquis | 1982 |
Big Lake | Washington | 1983 |
Elliottsville | Piscataquis | 1983 |
Blanchard | Piscataquis | 1984 |
Cathance | Washington | 1986 |
Benedicta | Aroostook | 1987 |
Prentiss | Penobscot | 1990 |
E,R2 WELS ("West of the Easterly Line of the State", survey township term) | Aroostook | 1990 |
Greenfield | Penobscot | 1993 |
Madrid | Franklin | 2000 |
Centerville | Washington | 2004 |
Bancroft | Aroostook | 2015 |
Oxbow North | Aroostook | 2017 |
Codyville Plantation | Washington | 2019 |
Cary Plantation | Aroostook | 2019 |
Atkinson | Piscataquis | 2019 |
Magalloway Plantation | Oxford | 2021 |
See also
References
- "GCT-PH1 – Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – State — P900lace and (in selected states) County Subdivision". 2010 United States Census. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- "Maine: 2010 Population and Housing Unit Counts 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). 2010 United States Census. United States Census Bureau. September 2012. p. III-2. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- "Maine Cities by Population".
- "Portland, Cumberland County | Maine Genealogy".
- Maine Office of the State Auditor. "State of Maine / Historical Deorganizations".
- Maine Office of the State Auditor (2019). "State of Maine / Historical Deorganizations by Decade" (PDF).
- Deorganization (from Maine Townsman, February 2004) By Mike Laberge, Freelance Writer
- If a town can’t afford to be a town, it may make sense to disband
External links
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