Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Garland’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for incomes. Only 11 of Maine’s 285 towns score lower on incomes. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 91% of U.S. towns. On cost of living, just 25 of Maine’s 285 towns do better. The biggest park or preserve is Bud Leavitt Wildlife Management Area, at 2,468 acres. Only 26 of Maine’s 285 towns score lower on civic life. Garland Grange Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places. Garland has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Garland beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Garland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 275 in 1820, a peak of 1,498 in 1860, 1,026 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 3 maps from 1932 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Garland, 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 Garland.
43% of adults have high blood pressure in Garland, above both Maine’s towns (35%) and U.S. towns (35%). 40% of adults have obesity in Garland. Among 144 Maine towns, just 8 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Garland.
| Garland | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 35% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 23% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Garland | ME |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20% | 14.8% |
| More adults who get no exercise | 30.4% | 23.1% |
| More adults in fair or poor health | 24.6% | 18.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3.1% of working residents work locally in Garland, against 12% in Maine’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Since 2013, Garland has lost 31 jobs, to 53 in 2023. 19% of Garland residents live below the poverty line.
| Garland | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $51,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 12% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Garland has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Garland’s July high is 78°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
4.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The trail density in Garland is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bud Leavitt Wildlife Management Area | — | 2,468 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Garland; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Garland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
Where Garland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Maine, United States
Garland is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,026 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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−.