South Paris, May 30, 1876, c. 1869
South Paris’s story
202 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1869.
- 1824South Paris is settled
South ParisME
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Unknown photographer · Public domain
Population
2,210
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$272K
+4% in a year
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
48.3
years
Jobs based here
1,737
A job hub
Is South Paris a good place to live?
27% of residents live below the poverty line in South Paris, against 9% in Maine’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Among 134 Maine towns, just 3 have a lower median rent than South Paris. We don’t grade South Paris yet; the figures below are still real.
What makes South Paris stand out
Where South Paris beats most towns.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,618 people come to South Paris for work
Where South Paris’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,737jobs based in South Paris
12%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Getting set up
Moving to South Paris: who provides what
South Paris is unincorporated, so Oxford County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerCentral Maine Power27.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterParis Utility DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesOxford CountyOxford County provides services here
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 hereParis Town ClerkTown of Paris; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2026
ZIP code0428104281 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 South Paris.
Work & commute
South Paris has 1.7 jobs for every working resident, and 1,618 people commute in
Most working residents leave South Paris for work: only 12% work in town. At 14 minutes, South Paris’ average trip to work is where Maine’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Since 2013, South Paris has added 350 jobs, to 1,737 in 2023.
12%work in town
| South Paris | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 12% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In South Paris12%
Paris16%
Auburn9%
Oxford8%
Norway8%
17 mi
median commute distance
1,737
jobs based in South Paris
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
The typical home in South Paris is valued at about $272K
The typical South Paris home is worth about $272,000, up 4% in a year, 34% below the Maine typical home. 52% of South Paris households own their home.
$272KZillow home value
Typical home value
South Paris$272K
Maine$412K
+4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in South Paris
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities.
28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
South Paris has snowy winters and pleasant summers
South Paris has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. South Paris’ July high is 80°F.
76″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–31°
Spring31–54°
Summer55–78°
Fall38–58°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 6
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy South Paris is
South Paris beats the Maine average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 17% of adults report frequent physical distress in South Paris. Only 8 of the 144 Maine towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than South Paris.
| South Paris | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Maine
0 better17 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | South Paris | ME |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.8% | 14.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.2% | 8.4% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.8% | 3.6% |
Mainehealth Stephens Hospital
1.1 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
South Paris has set aside 1.2% of its land for conservation
2.8 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves.
1.2%conserved
| South Paris | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
1.2%
conserved · 31 of 2,512 acres
2.8 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dennis Rugg Sports Complex | — | 11 |
| 2. McLaughlin Garden | — | 5 |
| 3. Moore Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 57 attractions →Mount Washington and 18 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Paris. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi MountainMount Washington
33 mi Scenic railwayConway Scenic Railroad
34 mi Theme parkStory Land25 mi Ski areaSunday River146 runs · 2,322 ft vertical37 mi Ski areaAttitash Mountain Resort85 runs · 1,662 ft vertical
31 mi Ski areaCranmore Mountain Resort60 runs · 1,127 ft verticalSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Washington: wwoods, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Conway Scenic Railroad: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Story Land: AnotherMaker, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cranmore Mountain Resort: Davidafranklin, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about South Paris
17pages on South Paris
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of South Paris
About 2 of every 100 South Paris residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
Famous people from South Paris
3 notable people were born in South Paris.
About South Paris
Census-designated place in Maine, United States
South Paris is a census-designated place (CDP) located within the town of Paris in Oxford County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, South Paris had a population of 2,183. South Paris is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England City and Town Area. While the CDP refers only to the densely settled area in the southern part of the town of Paris, the entire town, outside of Paris Hill, is located within the South Paris ZIP code, resulting in many residents referring to the entire town as South Paris.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 387 ft
- ZIP code
- 04281
South Paris’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with South Paris.
NorwayParisSouth Paris
How the neighbors grade
| Town | ME rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Paris | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Norway | #133 | D | B− | B | D | D |
| Paris | #122 | D | C− | B | D | C |
South Paris isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare South Paris with a neighbor →
Questions about South Paris
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Paris, ME a good place to live?
We don’t grade South Paris yet; the figures below are still real.
What is South Paris, ME known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Reta Shaw and William Deering.