Scarborough, ME

Town in ME, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

23,215

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

48.8

years ∙ half population younger than 48.8, half older

Diversity Index

17.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

4.2%

foreign-born population

95.8%Native

4.2% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Scarborough is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States.

Location

Town in ME, US

Co-ordinates

DEC43.571203° N, 70.334170° W

DMS43° 34′ 16.33″ N, 70° 20′ 03.01″ W

Population Density & area

486.7/sq mi (187.7/km²)

Total Area

70.6 sq mi (182.9 km²)

Land Area

47.7 sq mi (123.7 km²) · 67.6%

Water Area

22.9 sq mi (59.2 km²) · 32.4%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.6% male

Male 49.6%

Female 50.4%

males per 100 females

Scarborough 98.5

Maine 97.2

United States 98

Nativity

4.2%

foreign-born population

95.8%Native

4.2% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Scarborough 4.2%

Maine 4.1%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

48.8

years ∙ half population younger than 48.8, half older

Scarborough

48.8

Maine

44.8

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

70.6

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Scarborough 70.6

Maine 67.8

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Scarborough	Maine	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	16.6%	18.1%	22%
Working age (18-64)	58.7%	59.5%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	24.7%	22.4%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	70.6	67.8	64.4
Child dependency ratio	28.4	30.3	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	42.2	37.5	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

90.9%

Black

Asian

1.1%

Hispanic

2.9%

Other

4.1%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

17.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Scarborough 17.1%

Maine 18.9%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Scarborough population

Racial and ethnic composition — Scarborough vs Maine vs United States. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Scarborough	Maine	United States
Hispanic or Latino	2.9%	2.2%	19.3%
Mexican	0.4%	0.7%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.9%	0.5%	1.8%
Cuban	0.1%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1.5%	0.9%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	97.1%	97.8%	80.7%
One race	93.2%	93.6%	76.4%
White	90.9%	89.9%	57.4%
Black or African American	1%	1.8%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.3%	0.5%
Asian	1.1%	1.1%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0%	0.4%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.9%	4.2%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

68.5% family

Family 68.5%

Non family 31.5%

% family households

Scarborough 68.5%

Maine 60.7%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.29

persons per household

Scarborough

2.29

Maine

2.26

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Scarborough population

	Scarborough	Maine	United States
Total households	9,972	597,159	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.29	2.26	2.53
Family households	6,835	362,538	82,990,528
Average family size	2.73	2.81	3.14
Married couple family	5,742	286,766	60,637,388
Other families	1,093	75,772	22,353,140
Male householder	212	24,355	6,572,819
Female householder	881	51,417	15,780,321
Non-family households	3,137	234,621	46,236,968
One-person households	2,571	183,618	37,140,836
Male householder	885	79,882	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	420	29,811	5,225,110
Female householder	1,686	103,736	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	949	56,986	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	566	51,003	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

11,097

housing units

Scarborough 11,097

Maine 751,876

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

89.9% occupied

Occupied 89.9%

Vacant 10.1%

vacancy rate

Scarborough 10.1%

Maine 20.6%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

78.7%

Single family houses

78.7%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

19.6%

Mobile homes

1.8%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1990

Half of houses were built before 1990, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

8.3%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

14.6%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

47.6%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

29.6%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Scarborough	Maine	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.3	5.5	5.5
1–3 rooms	13.3%	14.4%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	39.2%	53.6%	51.6%
7+ rooms	47.4%	32%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.8%	2.5%	2.9%
1 bedroom	8.4%	11.7%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	24.5%	29.1%	25%
3 bedrooms	33.9%	38.9%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	31.3%	17.9%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1990	1977	1981
Total housing units	11,097	751,876	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

77.4% owners

Renter-occupied 22.6%

Owner-occupied 77.4%

homeownership rate

Scarborough 77.4%

Maine 74.3%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.46

Owner-occupied

1.7

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Scarborough 2.46

Maine 2.37

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Scarborough	Maine	United States
Total occupied units	9,972	597,159	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	19.6%	20.4%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	45.4%	38.5%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	15.7%	17.9%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	19.3%	23.2%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99.7%	98.6%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.3%	0.8%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.6%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	1.7%	6.8%	8.4%
1 vehicle	33.4%	33.6%	33.1%
2 vehicles	45.1%	39.9%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	19.8%	19.8%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	32%	22.1%	51.4%
Electricity	14.8%	11.2%	41.3%
Solar	1.5%	0.4%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	47.9%	55.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	3.6%	10.6%	2%
No fuel used	0.2%	0.4%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.1%	0.5%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.9%	0.9%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.4%	0.7%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$551,900

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Scarborough

$551,900

Maine

$296,600

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

21.7%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

21.7%

Owners without a mortgage

11.8%

Renters

51.8%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Scarborough	Maine	United States
Property value
Median Value	$551,900	$296,600	$332,700
Under $100,000	3.3%	12.3%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	1.7%	17.7%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	5.8%	20.6%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	32.9%	29.5%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	46.8%	16.5%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	9.4%	3.3%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	60.7%	57.7%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	39.3%	42.3%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$2,681	$1,729	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$887	$638	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,956	$1,139	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

57.7%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Scarborough 57.7%

Maine 36.2%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

1.3%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Scarborough 1.3%

Maine 5.2%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

4,553

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

4.3%

K–12

72%

College / Undergraduate

17.9%

Graduate / Professional

5.9%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

54.6%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Scarborough

54.6%

Maine

43.5%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Scarborough	Maine	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	4,553	281,216	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	4.3%	5%	5.7%
K–12	72%	66.2%	67.6%
Kindergarten	2.6%	5.1%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	25%	19.6%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	24.5%	19.8%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	19.8%	21.8%	21.7%
College or graduate school	23.7%	28.7%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	17.9%	23.1%	21%
Graduate, professional school	5.9%	5.7%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	54.6%	43.5%	40.9%
School type
Public school	88.6%	79.4%	82%
Private school	11.4%	20.6%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

18,089

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

0.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

0.8%

HS graduate

16.5%

Some college no degree

15%

Associates degree

9.6%

Bachelors degree

34.9%

Graduate or professional degree

22.7%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

72.6% · 27.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

23.4% · 76.6%

HS graduate

47.3% · 52.7%

Some college no degree

55.3% · 44.7%

Associates degree

46.8% · 53.2%

Bachelors degree

44.3% · 55.7%

Graduate or professional degree

48.9% · 51.1%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Scarborough	Maine	United States
Population (25+)	18,089	1,026,250	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	0.5%	1.7%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	0.8%	3.5%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	16.5%	30.1%	26%
Some college, no degree	15%	18.1%	19.1%
Associate's degree	9.6%	10.4%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	57.7%	36.2%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	34.9%	22.5%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	22.7%	13.7%	14.1%
High School or higher	98.8%	94.8%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$69,094

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$47,540

Some college or associates

$57,590

Bachelors degree

$72,177

Graduate or professional degree

$105,851

Poverty Rate

1.9%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

27.4%

HS graduate

11%

Some college or associates

Bachelors degree or higher

1.9%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Scarborough	Maine	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$69,094	$50,103	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$—	$35,887	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$47,540	$40,775	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$57,590	$46,697	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$72,177	$59,190	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$105,851	$75,851	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	27.4%	27.2%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	11%	13.9%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	4%	8.8%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	1.9%	4.5%	4.5%

Insights for Scarborough, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

Cite this page

Citation style

Url to be used as reference

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.