City safety & data profile

WatervilleME

Waterville, ME is a 16K-resident city in Kennebec County with a median household income of $53,580.

Kennebec County, Maine. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Waterville, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Waterville has a population larger than 32% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $184,600.

Data updated 2026-07-20

16K
Population
Top 68%
By size
$53,580
Median income
$184,600
Median home
20.6%
Poverty rate

The read on Waterville

Waterville posts a median household income higher than 13% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 87%
by median income, US cities

Where Waterville income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$53,580 Bottom 13% higher than 13% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. ME $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Waterville, ME beyond the headline numbers

Waterville sits inside Kennebec County, Maine, at roughly 44.55°N, -69.63°W. Population 16,261, $53,580 median household income. Median home value $184,600, median rent $978. Poverty rate 20.6%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Waterville's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 36.2%, then high blood pressure at 33.8%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Waterville from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
16,261
Waterville
Median Income
$53,580
-21% vs avg
Median Home Value
$184,600
-19% vs avg
Median Age
35.5
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Kennebec County) - Waterville's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
127K+4%
Median Income
$69,077+48%
Median Home Value
$238,200+56%
Poverty Rate
11.6%-13%
Unemployment
3.9%-54%

Economics

Economics indicators for Waterville, ME
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$978/mo
Poverty Rate
20.6% +45% vs avg
Unemployment 5.5%
Bachelor's Degree+ 30.8%
Work From Home 16.6%
Public Transit 0%

Population

White 87.9%
African American 1.5%
Asian 1.8%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.8%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
36.2%
High Blood Pressure
33.8%
Obesity
33.2%
Physical Inactivity
27.4%
Frequent Mental Distress
20.9%
Current Smoking
16.9%
Frequent Physical Distress
16%
Current Asthma
13.3%
Binge Drinking
12.8%
Diabetes
12.2%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 56.1%
Annual Checkup 79.8%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
9.9%
Coronary Heart Disease
8%
Stroke
3.9%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Waterville, ME? ▼
Waterville, ME has a population of 16,261 people, located in Kennebec County, Maine.
What is the median household income in Waterville? ▼
The median household income in Waterville, ME is $53,580 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 20.6%.
What is the median home value in Waterville? ▼
The median home value in Waterville, ME is $184,600. Median rent is $978/month.
What are the top health concerns in Waterville? ▼
The top health indicators in Waterville include Short Sleep Duration (36.2%), High Blood Pressure (33.8%), Obesity (33.2%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Waterville? ▼
The median age in Waterville, ME is 35.5 years. 30.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Waterville, ME is located in Kennebec County, Maine. With a population of 16K and a $53,580 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Safety alerts for the Waterville area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Maine

Real-time AQI for every monitored Maine location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Augusta, ME 19K Brunswick, ME 15K Lewiston, ME 36K Auburn, ME 23K Bangor, ME 32K Portland, ME 67K South Portland, ME 26K South Portland Gardens, ME 24K
All cities in Maine → Compare Waterville vs Augusta → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Waterville's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Waterville area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Waterville against Maine peers on any ranking lens. Explore Maine

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Kennebec County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.