Main Street, 1909
Canton’s story
205 years in pictures
Census counts: 746 in 1830, 1,125 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and 3 maps from 1911 on.
- 1821Canton is settled
CantonME
A town of 1,123, settled in 1821. 52% more nonprofits per person than the typical Maine town.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Unknown photographer · Public domain
Population
1,123
2025 Census estimate · −0.2% since 2020
Typical home
$219K
+1.9% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
41.4
years
Jobs based here
138
A commuter town
Is Canton a good place to live?
Canton’s best subject grades are an A− for cost of living and an A for civic life; its weakest is a C− for walkability. Canton’s average trip to work is 35 minutes, above both the Maine town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). On cost of living, just 13 of Maine’s 285 towns do better. Canton's public schools trail 82% of Maine towns on state tests and graduation. The biggest park or preserve is Academy Hill Conservation Area, at 401 acres. Canton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Canton stand out
Where Canton beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Canton6.7
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical ME town4.4
Civic lifeA
52% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Maine town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Typical home value
Canton$219K
Maine$412K
Cost of livingA−
3.6 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 84% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Small town
1,123 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
PeruJayHartfordLivermoreDixfieldCanton
How Canton grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Canton is from typical.
Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.8 of 20; 4.1% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →SchoolsC−Open →Jobs & income$52K median household incomeC−Open →HealthMainehealth Franklin Hospital 11.4 miles awayC+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors8% conserved landB+Open →History4 notable people born hereBOpen →Civic life6.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 41.4; 24% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Canton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Canton, and how to reach them.
PowerCentral Maine Power27.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCanton Water District2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Canton’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Maine you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCanton Town ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2026
ZIP code0422104221 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Canton.
HousingCost of living grade A−
The median rent in Canton is lower than in most of Maine or the rest of the country
At $485 a month, Canton’s median rent is against $1,106 a month in Maine’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. The typical Canton home is worth about $219,000, up 1.9% in a year, 47% below the Maine typical home.
$219KZillow home value
| Canton | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $485 a month | $1,106 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 81% | 81% | 73% |
Typical home value
Canton$219K
Maine$412K
+1.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Canton stands out in Maine and nationally, with fewer of its working residents who work locally
No town among the 144 in Maine we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Canton. Jobs based in Canton fell to 138 in 2023, 162 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Rumford (10%), Dixfield (9%) and Auburn (7%).
1%work in town
| Canton | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.2% | 12% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.4% | 9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Canton1%
Rumford10%
Dixfield9%
Auburn7%
Lewiston6%
25 mi
median commute distance
138
jobs based in Canton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 18% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Canton, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Canton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Canton’s July high is 79°F.
108″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–30°
Spring30–53°
Summer54–77°
Fall37–57°
Oct 3
typical first frost
May 6
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Health in Canton trails 60% of U.S. towns
Canton beats the Maine average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 17% of adults report frequent physical distress in Canton. Only 8 of the 144 Maine towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Canton.
40%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Canton | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 81% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Maine
1 better21 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Canton | ME |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.6% | 76.4% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.8% | 3.6% |
Mainehealth Franklin Hospital
11.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
8.5%conserved
| Canton | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8.5% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
8.5%
conserved · 1,646 of 19,397 acres
13 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Academy Hill Conservation Area | — | 401 |
| 2. Alden Hill Conservation Area | — | 306 |
| 3. Canton Rivershore Conservation Area | — | 249 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Canton faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 61 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Canton.
54risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesCold waves
61
paid flood claims since 1978
11
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Canton
19pages on Canton
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Canton
About 2 of every 100 Canton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Canton for work
Where Canton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
138jobs based in Canton
1%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Canton
4 notable people were born in Canton.
About Canton
Town in Maine, United States
Canton is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Canton is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England City and Town Area. The population was 1,125 at the 2020 census. Located beside Lake Anasagunticook, Canton is a summer recreational area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 31 sq mi
- Elevation
- 400 ft
- ZIP code
- 04221
Questions about Canton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Canton, ME a good place to live?
52% more nonprofits per person than the typical Maine town.
Is Canton, ME expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
What is Canton, ME known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Herbert L. Osgood and Horatio Bisbee, Jr..