Pierce Memorial Library, c. 1920
Steep Falls’s story
176 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1920.
- 1850Steep Falls is settled
Steep FallsME
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,861
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$243K
Census ACS
Household income
$80K
median
Median age
44.1
years
Jobs based here
43
A commuter town
Is Steep Falls a good place to live?
No town among the 144 in Maine we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Steep Falls. 37% of the land in Steep Falls is conserved, above both Maine’s towns (4.7%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Steep Falls Wildlife Management Area, at 1,807 acres with 3.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. We don’t grade Steep Falls yet; the figures below are still real.
What makes Steep Falls stand out
Where Steep Falls beats most towns.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Steep Falls for work
Where Steep Falls’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
43jobs based in Steep Falls
1%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Getting set up
Moving to Steep Falls: who provides what
Steep Falls is unincorporated, so Cumberland County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerCentral Maine Power27.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPortland Water District-GreaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesCumberland CountyCumberland 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 hereStandish Town ClerkTown of Standish; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2026
ZIP code0408504085 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 Steep Falls.
Outdoors
Conservation land takes up nearly a third of Steep Falls
In 4 parks and preserves, walkers have 11 miles of trail. Steep Falls’ trail density comes in at 1.1 miles per square mile.
36.9%conserved
36.9%
conserved · 2,397 of 6,488 acres
11 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Steep Falls Wildlife Management Area | 3.9 mi | 1,807 |
| 2. Steep Falls Village Preserve | — | 26 |
| 3. Boundary Road Field | 0.1 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commute
Steep Falls has 0.1 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Among residents in Steep Falls, 7.2% live below the poverty line, near the Maine town median (9%) and below the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Commuting out is the norm in the town: 1% of working residents work locally. Jobs based in the town fell to 43 in 2023, 43 fewer than in 2013. In Steep Falls, the average trip to work is 31 minutes.
1%work in town
| Steep Falls | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.2% | 9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Steep Falls1%
Portland20%
Scarborough9%
Westbrook8%
South Portland8%
19 mi
median commute distance
43
jobs based in Steep Falls
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Steep Falls faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
43% of Steep Falls’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by hurricanes at 21%. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 75% of U.S. communities.
25risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesIce storms
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Steep Falls: snowy winters and pleasant summers
In Steep Falls, the typical July afternoon high is 81°F.
70″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–33°
Spring32–55°
Summer55–78°
Fall38–59°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
78% of adults in Steep Falls had a checkup this year, against 81% in Maine’s towns and 79% across U.S. towns
Of 32 CDC measures, Steep Falls beats the Maine average on 3 and trails it on 10. Among adults in the town, 21% report frequent mental distress. 29% of adults in the town have been diagnosed with depression; 18% smoke cigarettes.
| Steep Falls | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Maine
3 better19 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Steep Falls | ME |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 8.2% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 34% | 37.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 24.4% | 14.8% |
Bridgton Hospital
18.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A home in Steep Falls sells for about $438K at the median
Homes sold in Steep Falls spent a median 51 days on the market. In Steep Falls, 80% of households live in a home they own.
$438Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
51
days on market
98.6%
sale-to-list price
5
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 68 attractions →Lake Winnipesaukee and 29 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Steep Falls. Close and well known come first.
38 mi LakeLake Winnipesaukee
23 mi LighthousePortland Head Light
22 mi LandmarkFort Gorges
31 mi Scenic railwayConway Scenic Railroad
36 mi Theme parkStory Land37 mi Ski areaAttitash Mountain Resort85 runs · 1,662 ft verticalSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Winnipesaukee: No machine-readable author provided. JohnJHenderson~commonswiki assumed (based o, Public domain · Portland Head Light: Aniarku, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Gorges: Dirk Ingo Franke, CC BY 3.0 · Conway Scenic Railroad: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Story Land: AnotherMaker, CC BY-SA 4.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Steep Falls
16pages on Steep Falls
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Steep Falls
About 4 of every 100 Steep Falls residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
About Steep Falls
Census-designated place in Maine, United States
Steep Falls is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Standish in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, Steep Falls had a population of 1,223. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is part of Maine School Administrative District #6, which includes Bonny Eagle Middle and High Schools.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 10 sq mi
- Elevation
- 303 ft
- ZIP code
- 04085
Steep Falls’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Steep Falls.
StandishLimingtonBaldwinSteep Falls
How the neighbors grade
| Town | ME rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steep Falls | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Standish | #35 | B+ | B+ | — | C+ | B+ |
| Limington | #57 | B | B+ | — | C+ | B− |
| Baldwin | — | — | B | — | B− | C+ |
Baldwin has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Standish, Limington and Baldwin report no FBI crime data of their own. Steep Falls isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Steep Falls with a neighbor →
Questions about Steep Falls
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Steep Falls, ME a good place to live?
We don’t grade Steep Falls yet; the figures below are still real.