Beech Hill Pond - David's Boat, 1990
Otis’s story
174 years in pictures
Census counts: 350 in 1830, a low of 88 in 1840, 673 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1990 and 4 maps from 1911 on.
- 1852Otis is settled
OtisME
A town of 667, settled in 1852.
Population
667
2025 Census estimate · −0.1% since 2020
Typical home
$387K
+7.9% in a year
Household income
$101K
median
Median age
54.7
years
Jobs based here
76
A commuter town
Is Otis a good place to live?
Otis’ average trip to work is 42 minutes, where Maine’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Of the 144 Maine towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Otis. The biggest park or preserve is Bangor Water Supply Lands, at 3,125 acres. Otis has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
667 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
DedhamMariavilleEllsworthOtis
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Otis: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Otis, and how to reach them.
PowerVersant Power30.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet2 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Otis’ 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 hereOtis Town ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2026
ZIP code0460504605 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 Otis.
Work & commute
Otis has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Otis for work: only 1% work in town. Jobs based in Otis fell to 76 in 2023, 108 fewer than in 2013. The median household income in Otis is $101,000.
1%work in town
| Otis | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $101,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.8% | 9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Otis1%
Bangor28%
Ellsworth14%
Brewer8%
Bar Harbor5%
18 mi
median commute distance
76
jobs based in Otis
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Otis’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Otis Public Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beech Hill SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 70 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Maine overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 52% of residents (40% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 11% of residents (20% statewide). Otis’ median age is 54.7 years. 35% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Maine.
54.7median age · ME 44.8
| Otis | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 54.7 years | 44.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 32% | 29% |
OtisMaineUnited States
Ages · share of residents
26%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school37%
Some college16%
Associate’s6%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate16%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.8 points. Across Maine, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Otis | ME | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.3% | 9.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.2% | 8.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 1.8% | 8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.7% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.2% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.9% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 26% | 15.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.9% | 13.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7% | 8.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.6% | 5.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.7% | 30.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 16% | 18.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.9% | 10.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19% | 22.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.8% | 13.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Otis
Otis has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 79°, January nights drop to 10° and about 75 inches of snow falls in a winter.
75″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–32°
Spring32–53°
Summer55–77°
Fall38–57°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
13%conserved
13%
conserved · 2,355 of 18,168 acres
12 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bangor Water Supply Lands | — | 3,125 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
In Otis, the FEMA risk score runs higher than in the typical Maine or U.S. town
Among 144 Maine towns, just 3 have a higher FEMA risk score than Otis.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Otis is
Otis beats the Maine average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Otis.
| Otis | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 81% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 23% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Maine
1 better31 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Otis | ME |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.9% | 14.8% |
Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital
12.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
The typical home in Otis is valued at about $387K
The typical Otis home is worth about $387,000, up 7.9% in a year, 6% below the Maine typical home. 90% of Otis households own their home.
$387KZillow home value
| Otis | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 90% | 81% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,563 a month | $1,106 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Otis$387K
Maine$412K
+7.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 15 attractions →Acadia National Park and 8 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Otis. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi National ParkAcadia National Park4.1M visitors a year
29 mi MountainCadillac Mountain
19 mi LandmarkFort Knox
35 mi LighthouseBass Harbor Head Light
27 mi MuseumAbbe Museum15 mi MuseumUniversity of Maine Museum of ArtSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Acadia 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
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Otis
18pages on Otis
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Otis
About 1 of every 100 Otis residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Otis for work
Where Otis’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
76jobs based in Otis
1%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Otis
Town in Maine, United States
Otis is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 673 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 29 sq mi
- Elevation
- 243 ft
- Area code
- 207
Questions about Otis
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Otis, ME a good place to live?
Otis has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.