Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
17.1 times the library visits per person than the typical Maine town.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Camden grades A− overall, 28th among Maine's 142 graded towns. It has 35 miles of trail. Its schools rank ahead of 93% of Maine towns and it reports less crime per resident than 86% of U.S. towns. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $694K for a typical one and 9.4 times the county’s $74K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 97% of U.S. towns, with 19 places on the National Register. 24% of the land in Camden is conserved, above both Maine’s towns (4.7%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Only 17 of Maine’s 285 towns score higher on walkability. Camden's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 100% of U.S. towns.
Where Camden beats most towns.
LEWIS R. FRENCH (schooner) is one of 3 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 331 in 1790, 5,232 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1770 and 5 maps from 1904 on.
19 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Camden is from typical.
Its grades run from A for schools (better than 93% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 5%), so the A− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Camden, 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 Camden.
Camden has schools in the top 5% of Maine and is a second-home town, but it has seen reported crime rise by about half.
Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #1 of 143 in Maine.
Camden’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, above both the Maine town median (0.7) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest place to walk is Camden Hills State Park, 2,767 acres with 17.9 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Camden Hills State Park | 17.9 mi | 2,767 |
| 2. Ragged Mountain Preserve | 3.5 mi | 389 |
| 3. Maiden Cliff Natural Area | 1.9 mi | 191 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its A ranks #6 of the 142 Maine towns we grade for schools. Its A for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $694K.
Its public schools are run by RSU 28/MSAD 28. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camden-Rockport Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 348 | A |
| Watershed School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 13 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ME on state tests and graduation
At 9.4 years of the county’s $74K median household income, the typical home (about $694K) costs more against local pay than in 98% of Maine towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $5,832, against $3,036 across Maine, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Typical home values rose 5.7% in the year to September 2026.
| Camden | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,269 a month | $1,106 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 81% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes rose from 7 to 35 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 0 reported in 2025, 0 per 1,000 residents.
The violent crime rate in Camden is 0 per 1,000 residents.
| Camden | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.8 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its widest gap with Maine is tooth loss: 6.6% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 14.8% statewide.
13% of Camden adults report frequent mental distress. Of the 143 Maine towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Camden. 16% of Camden adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Camden | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 33% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 16% |
| What stands out | Camden | ME |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.6% | 14.8% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7% | 10.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.2% | 9.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 77% of U.S. communities. Since 1987, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Camden.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The W Rockport 1 Nnw weather station, 5 miles away, records that about 2 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 75.2°, cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns; January nights average 13.2°. The W Rockport 1 Nnw weather station, 5 miles away, records that 69 inches of snow fall in a normal winter: more than most of the country, but less than 85% of Maine places with climate records.
Camden has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. Camden’s July high is 75°F.
| Camden | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 75°F | 79°F | 85°F |
| January low | 13°F | 10°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 4 of Camden’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Rockport (18%), Rockland (11%) and Belfast (6%). Half commute less than 8 miles.
| Camden | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 12% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Camden. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi National ParkAcadia National Park4.1M visitors a year
27 mi LandmarkFort Knox
9 mi MuseumFarnsworth Art Museumin town Ski areaCamden Snow Bowl31 runs · 836 ft vertical
35 mi LighthousePemaquid Point Light
36 mi LighthouseBass Harbor Head LightAcadia National Park: Plh1234us, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Knox: Unknown, Public domain · Farnsworth Art Museum: Panoramio user MementoMori, CC BY 3.0 · Pemaquid Point Light: WestportWiki, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bass Harbor Head Light: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Camden
About 4 of every 100 Camden residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
24.4% of the town is conserved land, across 21 parks and preserves.
19 places in Camden on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Camden.
Town in Maine, United States
Camden is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,232 at the 2020 census. Located on Penobscot Bay at the mouth of the Megunticook River, Camden is one of the few places on the Atlantic seaboard where mountains meet the sea. The town was incorporated in 1791 and named after Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden, a supporter of American colonial rights. Camden developed as an industrial center in the 19th century, with mills along the Megunticook River supporting shipbuilding, textile manufacturing, and lime production. The local shipyards launched notable vessels including the first six-masted schooner ever built. Beginning in the 1880s, Camden transformed into a prominen…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Camden.
| Town | ME rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camden | #28 | A− | D− | A | A | A− |
| Rockport | #26 | A− | D | A− | A | A− |
| North Haven | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lincolnville | — | — | C+ | — | A+ | B+ |
| Hope | — | — | C− | — | A | B+ |
| Islesboro | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Lincolnville and Hope have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Lincolnville and Hope report no FBI crime data of their own. North Haven and Islesboro aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Camden with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Camden grades A− overall, better than 77% of U.S. towns and #28 of 142 in Maine. It grades A− for health, A for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
3 notable people were born here, including William Conway and Grayson Lookner.
