Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 802.
Thorndike’s average trip to work is 36 minutes, above both Maine’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 5 of the 144 Maine towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Thorndike. Farwell Brothers Store is on the National Register of Historic Places. Thorndike has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 543 in 1820, 774 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 4 maps from 1926 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Thorndike, 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 Thorndike.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mt View Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 273 | D− |
| Mt View High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 271 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
The typical Thorndike home is worth about $241,000, up 1.4% in a year, 42% below the Maine typical home. Thorndike’s median rent is $836 a month, where Maine’s towns sit at $1,106 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. 87% of Thorndike households own their home.
| Thorndike | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 81% | 73% |
| Median rent | $836 a month | $1,106 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Thorndike has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Thorndike is 78°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Thorndike for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Thorndike has lost 66 jobs, to 199 in 2023. 6.5% of residents live below the poverty line in Thorndike.
| Thorndike | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $78,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Thorndike beats the Maine average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
| Thorndike | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Thorndike | ME |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 18% | 14.4% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 12.1% | 9.8% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 13.2% | 10.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Thorndike | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 51% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Thorndike. Close and well known come first.
22 mi LandmarkFort Knox
34 mi MuseumFarnsworth Art Museum
33 mi MuseumMaine State Museum
21 mi MuseumColby College Museum of Art27 mi Ski areaCamden Snow Bowl31 runs · 836 ft vertical
18 mi MuseumPenobscot Marine MuseumFort Knox: Unknown, Public domain · Farnsworth Art Museum: Panoramio user MementoMori, CC BY 3.0 · Maine State Museum: Stilfehler, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Colby College Museum of Art: Colby Mariam, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Penobscot Marine Museum: John Smith, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Thorndike; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Thorndike residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
Town in Maine, United States
Thorndike is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The town was named after Israel Thorndike, a landowner. The population was 774 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.
Thorndike has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
