Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
31% of residents are 65 or older in New Sweden, above both the Maine town median (22%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Among 144 Maine towns, just 1 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than New Sweden. Its National Register listings include Timmerhuset and Larsson-Noak Historic District. New Sweden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where New Sweden beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 517 in 1880, a peak of 964 in 1920, 577 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1932 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in New Sweden, 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 New Sweden.
The typical New Sweden home is worth about $205,000, down 1.3% in a year, 50% below the Maine typical home. 88% of households own their home in New Sweden, against 81% in Maine’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave New Sweden for work: only 2% work in town. 16% of residents live below the poverty line in New Sweden. The top destinations are Caribou (28%), Presque Isle (19%) and Van Buren (4%).
| New Sweden | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The median age in New Sweden is 50.5 years. 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Maine. 23% of New Sweden residents are under 18.
| New Sweden | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.5 years | 44.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 23% | 18% | 22% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.2 points. Across Maine, 50.7% of residents are women.
| New Sweden | ME | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15% | 8.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.8% | 8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.5% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.3% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.6% | 15.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 18.2% | 13.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.6% | 8.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.1% | 5.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.3% | 30.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.1% | 18.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 17.2% | 10.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.4% | 22.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5% | 13.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
New Sweden has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. New Sweden’s July high is 76°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Only 2 of the 144 Maine towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than New Sweden. New Sweden beats the Maine average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. Only 5 of the 144 Maine towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than New Sweden.
| New Sweden | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 23% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| What stands out | New Sweden | ME |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.2% | 14.8% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.9% | 15.5% |
| More adults who get no exercise | 31.6% | 23.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.9 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Among 144 Maine towns, just 6 have a lower trail density than New Sweden. The biggest park or preserve is New Sweden NE Public Reserved Land, at 146 acres.
| New Sweden | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.7% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. New Sweden NE Public Reserved Land | — | 146 |
| 2. New Sweden West Public Reserved Land | — | 111 |
| 3. Thomas Park | 0.2 mi | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of New Sweden; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 New Sweden residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
Where New Sweden’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Maine, United States
New Sweden is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 577 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.
New Sweden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
