Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,243, settled in 1829.
Stetson’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for walkability. Only 3 of Maine’s 285 towns score lower on walkability. Residents are less healthy than 91% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On cost of living, just 22 of Maine’s 285 towns do better. Stetson Union Church is on the National Register of Historic Places. Stetson has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Stetson beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Stetson | ME |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 20% | 14.4% |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Stetson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 114 in 1830, a low of 114 in 1830, 1,186 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2015 and 4 maps from 1935 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Stetson, 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 Stetson.
41% of adults have obesity in Stetson, above both the Maine town median (33%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 30% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Stetson. Among 144 Maine towns, just 6 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Stetson.
| Stetson | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 27% | 23% |
| What stands out | Stetson | ME |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 20% | 14.4% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 14.7% | 10.7% |
| More adults in fair or poor health | 25.2% | 18.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nfi-Stetson Ranch School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 6 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ME on state tests and graduation
The typical Stetson home is worth about $264,000, up 2.4% in a year, 36% below the Maine typical home. Stetson’s median rent is $800 a month, below both Maine’s towns ($1,106 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 88% of Stetson households own their home.
| Stetson | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 88% | 81% | 73% |
| Median rent | $800 a month | $1,106 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Jobs based in Stetson grew to 91 in 2023, 27 more than in 2013. Only 2 of the 144 Maine towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Stetson. Stetson’s average trip to work is 32 minutes.
| Stetson | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3% | 12% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 9% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Stetson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Stetson is 79°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
11 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Pleasant Lake Preserve, 148 acres with 2 miles of trail.
| Stetson | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.6% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Penobscot County Conservation Association Wildlife Management Area | 2.8 mi | 1,516 |
| 2. Pleasant Lake Preserve | 2 mi | 148 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Stetson; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Stetson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
Where Stetson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Maine, United States
Stetson is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,241 at the 2026 World population review of stetson maine.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.