Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Anson’s subject grades is an A for history; the weakest is a C− for schools. Of the 144 Maine towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Anson. On the outdoors, just 14 of Maine’s 285 towns do worse. Its National Register listings include Temples Historic District and Bailey Farm Windmill. Anson has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Anson beats most towns.
Census counts: 373 in 1800, a low of 373 in 1800, 2,291 in 2020. The archive holds 16 old photos and papers going back to 1869 and 4 maps from 1904 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Anson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Anson, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Anson.
The typical Anson home is worth about $186,000, up 4% in a year, 55% below the Maine typical home. Anson’s median rent is $928 a month, against $1,106 a month in Maine’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
| Anson | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $928 a month | $1,106 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 81% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by RSU 74/MSAD 74. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrabec Community SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 225 | D |
| Carrabec High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 174 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ME on state tests and graduation
39% of Anson adults sleep under 7 hours, where Maine’s towns sit at 33% and U.S. towns at 36%. 20% of Anson adults smoke cigarettes. Anson beats the Maine average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18.
| Anson | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 33% | 36% |
| What stands out | Anson | ME |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.6% | 14.8% |
| More smokers | 20.3% | 14.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.6% | 8.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Anson for work: only 13% work in town. The average trip to work in Anson is 33 minutes. Jobs based in Anson fell to 362 in 2023, 64 fewer than in 2013.
| Anson | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 12% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Anson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Anson’s July high is 79°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 21 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Anson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Anson
About 3 of every 100 Anson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
Where Anson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Anson on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Maine, United States
Anson is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,291 at the time of the 2020 census. It includes the villages of Anson and North Anson.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Anson.
| Town | ME rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anson | — | — | B | — | C− | C− |
| Madison | #110 | C− | B− | — | C+ | D |
| Embden | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Portland | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Industry | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Vineyard | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Starks | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Anson has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Anson and Madison report no FBI crime data of their own. Embden, New Portland, Industry, New Vineyard and Starks aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Anson with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 3.2 years of the area's median household income ($58,179 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
2 notable people were born here, including Eugene H. Merrill and Auzella Savage.
