Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Hancock grades C− overall, 112th among Maine's 142 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, its public schools trail 86% of Maine towns on state tests and graduation. It also does better than most on health: it is healthier than 69% of U.S. towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $72K, and 8% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $365K, 5 years of the county’s $73K median household income. Hancock’s median age is 56.3 years, above both the Maine town median (44.9 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Frenchman Bay Community Forest, at 3,344 acres with 1.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Hancock has 3 places on the National Register.
Where Hancock beats most towns.
Census counts: 278 in 1790, a low of 278 in 1790, 2,466 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 2 maps from 1981 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Hancock is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hancock. Close and well known come first.
Big draw7 mi National ParkAcadia National Park4.1M visitors a year
12 mi MountainCadillac Mountain
26 mi LandmarkFort Knox
21 mi LighthouseBass Harbor Head Light
10 mi MuseumAbbe Museum30 mi MuseumUniversity of Maine Museum of ArtAcadia National Park: Plh1234us, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cadillac Mountain: The original uploader was NightThree at English Wikipedia., CC BY 2.0 · Fort Knox: Unknown, Public domain · Bass Harbor Head Light: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Abbe Museum: AbbeMuseum, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hancock, 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 Hancock.
Hancock is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns, but it trails Lamoine and its other neighbors on schools.
Each of its 5 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its D, Lamoine highest at A+.
Its public schools are run by the Hancock Public Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock Grammar SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 188 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ME on state tests
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Spring Brook Wildlife Management Area | 2 mi | 344 |
| 2. Frenchman Bay Community Forest | 1.8 mi | 3,344 |
| 3. Ice Pond Preserve | 1.7 mi | 76 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most working residents leave Hancock for work: only 6% work in town. The average trip to work in Hancock is 29 minutes. Since 2013, Hancock has added 65 jobs, to 557 in 2023.
| Hancock | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.3% | 12% | 8% |
| Median household income | $72,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 8.2% | 9% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 10,701 U.S. towns with household incomes like Hancock’s, it is healthier than 84%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income.
30% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Hancock. Hancock tracks Maine closely on all 32 CDC measures. 83% of adults had a checkup this year in Hancock.
| Hancock | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 81% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hancock.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
July afternoons average 77.9°, cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 13.3°.
Hancock has cold winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Hancock’s July high is 78°F.
| Hancock | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 78°F | 79°F | 85°F |
| January low | 13°F | 10°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 30% of residents (22% statewide); children under 18 are 14% of residents (18% statewide). Hancock has grown 5.1% since 2020, to 2,593 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 35% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Maine.
| Hancock | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 14% | 18% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 32% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.5 points. Across Maine, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Hancock | ME | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.7% | 9.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.2% | 8.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.4% | 8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.3% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.4% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.9% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.9% | 15.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.2% | 13.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13% | 8.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.7% | 5.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.8% | 30.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.4% | 18.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.2% | 10.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.6% | 22.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 19.4% | 13.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,600, single groups can be off by several points
At about $365K, home values are up 11% in five years, against a rise of 27% across Maine.
The typical Hancock home is worth about $365,000, about the same as a year ago, 11% below the Maine typical home.
| Hancock | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 81% | 81% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,171 a month | $1,106 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1 within 15 miles of the center of Hancock
About 3 of every 100 Hancock residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
Coastal flooding makes up 14% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
21.8% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, so the town is fuller in summer than its census count suggests.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Town in Maine, United States
Hancock is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,466 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Hancock.
| Town | ME rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock | #112 | C− | C+ | — | D | B+ |
| Sorrento | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lamoine | — | — | C+ | — | A+ | B+ |
| Sullivan | — | — | A− | — | C | C+ |
| Franklin | — | — | B+ | — | C | C+ |
| Bar Harbor | #18 | A− | D | A | A+ | A− |
| Gouldsboro | — | — | C+ | A+ | C | B |
Lamoine, Sullivan, Franklin and Gouldsboro have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Hancock, Lamoine, Sullivan and Franklin report no FBI crime data of their own. Sorrento isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Hancock with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Hancock grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #112 of 142 in Maine. It grades B+ for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
