ExeterME
A town of 1,002, settled in 1824.
Is Exeter a good place to live?
The best of Exeter’s subject grades is an A− for cost of living; the weakest is a D for health. 9% of residents are under 18 in Exeter, below both Maine’s towns (18%) and U.S. towns (22%). Only 12 of Maine’s 285 towns score higher on cost of living. Exeter's public schools trail 82% of Maine towns on state tests and graduation. On the outdoors, just 17 of Maine’s 285 towns do worse. Exeter has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Exeter stand out
Where Exeter beats most towns.
1,002 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Exeter grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Exeter is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Exeter: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Exeter, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Exeter.
On CDC estimates, Exeter is less healthy than 87% of U.S. towns
Exeter beats the Maine average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 42% of Exeter adults have high blood pressure, above both the Maine town median (35%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 19% of Exeter adults smoke cigarettes.
| Exeter | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 23% | 25% |
| What stands out | Exeter | ME |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 18.9% | 14.4% |
| More adults who get no exercise | 30% | 23.1% |
| More adults in fair or poor health | 24.2% | 18.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes in Exeter are worth about $217K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Exeter home is worth about $217,000, up 3.2% in a year, 47% below the Maine typical home. 93% of households own their home in Exeter.
| Exeter | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 93% | 81% | 73% |
| Median rent | $995 a month | $1,106 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most of Exeter’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Exeter for work: only 6% work in town. Exeter’s average trip to work is 35 minutes. The top destinations are Bangor (20%), Dexter (7%) and Brewer (4%).
| Exeter | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.2% | 12% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $84,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Low risk in Exeter, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Exeter
Exeter has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Exeter is 79°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Crawford Field | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Exeter
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Exeter; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Exeter residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
Exeter has shrunk 8% since 2010
1,092 counted in 2010 and 963 in 2020; an estimated 1,002 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
About Exeter
Town in Maine, United States
Exeter is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 963 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 39 sq mi
- Elevation
- 299 ft
- ZIP code
- 04435
- Area code
- 207
Questions about Exeter
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Exeter, 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 Exeter, ME known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Charles Branch Wilson and Lewis Barker.