Waldo County, Maine: commercial real estate data.
Waldo County, Maine has a population of 40,192 across 730 square miles, up 2.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.00 bn in 2024, 1,003 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 38 7(a) approvals worth $7.7 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Waldo County
How many people live in Waldo County
- Population40,192
- Households17,470
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$72,782
- Median age47.4
- Median gross rent$1,021 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$257,700
- Home value to household income3.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher34.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree14.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over30,224
- Population under 187,124
- Share under 1817.7 percent
- Population 65 and over10,091
- Share 65 and over25.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6422,977
- Civilian labor force19,647
- Unemployment rate3.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.4 percent
- Rank by population among Maine counties11th of 16
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1201st
Waldo County is the 11th largest of 16 Maine counties by population. A median home costs 3.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.1 percent against 17.7 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Waldo County
Is Waldo County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.56 percent
- Census 2020 base population39,602
- Births, 2024293
- Deaths, 2024503
- Natural change, 2024-210
- Net domestic migration, 2024306
- Net international migration, 202432
- Total net migration, 2024338
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,652
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents991st
The county has grown 2.56 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Waldo County
Where people moving to Waldo County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,333
- People arriving, from those returns2,216
- Adjusted gross income arriving$108.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$81,272
- Largest single originWaldo County Non-migrants (16,030 households)
- Largest single destination (16,030 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waldo County Non-migrants | 16,030 | 30,146 | $1.07 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 597 | 1,030 | $69.8 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 260 | 415 | $36.9 m |
| Penobscot County | 173 | 274 | $8.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 164 | 322 | $21.5 m |
| Knox County | 138 | 230 | $9.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 124 | 204 | $8.2 m |
| Kennebec County | 108 | 189 | $4.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Waldo County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Waldo County
What the Waldo County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.00 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.94 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.8 percent
- GDP change over five years30.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Maine counties12th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1284th
- GDP per resident$49,716
Output grew 2.8 percent in the latest year and 30.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Waldo County
Who employs people in Waldo County
- Covered employment, annual average11,273
- Establishments reporting1,459
- Average annual pay$54,674
- Average weekly wage$1,051
- Sector 44-45, employment1,681
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,692
- Sector 62, employment1,622
- Sector 62, average annual pay$61,809
- Sector 31-33, employment1,081
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$56,492
- Sector 55, employment921
- Sector 55, average annual pay$82,927
- Sector 72, employment836
- Sector 52, employment556
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 1,681 | 150 | $37,692 |
| Sector 62 | 1,622 | 126 | $61,809 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,081 | 54 | $56,492 |
| Sector 55 | 921 | 70 | $82,927 |
| Sector 72 | 836 | 91 | $28,315 |
| Sector 52 | 556 | 35 | $87,145 |
| Sector 81 | 467 | 116 | $43,757 |
| Sector 54 | 376 | 203 | $86,585 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,681 jobs, 14.9 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Waldo County
What businesses operate in Waldo County
- Establishments, all industries1,003
- Employment at those establishments9,273
- Annual payroll$507.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Waldo County
What is being built in Waldo County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024145
- Declared construction value permitted$44.7 m
- Single family units authorised145
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$308,113
- Units authorised per 1,000 households8.3
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Waldo County
How much SBA lending happens in Waldo County
- 7(a) approvals recorded38
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$7.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$202,450
- Median 7(a) approval$116,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$375,000
- Largest single approval$1,517,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)243
- Jobs per approval6.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active13
- Distinct industries receiving approvals26
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer18.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter31
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (4)
- Most active lenderBangor Savings Bank (10)
- 504 approvals recorded25
- 504 gross approval dollars$11.7 m
- Average 504 approval$469,640
- Median 504 approval$255,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval6.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.5
- Most active CDCGranite State Economic Development Corporation (16)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals60.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$19.4 m
The average approval of $202,450 sits well above the median of $116,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 18.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Waldo County
Do SBA loans in Waldo County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded15
- Paid in full14
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans6.7 percent
- Status: Paid in full14
- Status: Exempt from disclosure20
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Cancelled2
Of the 15 loans that have reached a final outcome, 6.7 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Waldo County
Which parts of Waldo County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending15
- BELFAST, approvals6
- WINTERPORT, approvals5
- Islesboro, approvals3
- Lincolnville, approvals3
- Unity, approvals3
- Thorndike, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BELFAST | 6 | $1,337,000 |
| WINTERPORT | 5 | $2,250,800 |
| Islesboro | 3 | $371,000 |
| Lincolnville | 3 | $892,500 |
| Unity | 3 | $400,400 |
| Thorndike | 3 | $294,400 |
| SEARSMONT | 2 | $105,000 |
| Stockton Springs | 2 | $141,000 |
BELFAST accounts for 6 approvals against 5 in WINTERPORT. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Waldo County
How big is Waldo County
- Land area730 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Maine counties12th of 16
- Width, east to west35.1 mi
- Height, north to south36.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land55
- Establishments per square mile1.37
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Waldo County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Waldo County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population40,192
- Households17,470
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$72,782
- Median age47.4
Common questions
Waldo County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Waldo County, Maine?
40,192, in 17,470 households, ranking 11th of 16 Maine counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Waldo County growing?
The population has grown 2.56 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 293 births against 503 deaths, with net migration of 338. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Waldo County?
$72,782. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $257,700, which is 3.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,021 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Waldo County?
1,003 establishments, employing 9,273 people with an annual payroll of $507.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Waldo County?
Average annual pay is $54,674, or $1,051 a week, across 11,273 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Waldo County?
38 7(a) approvals totalling $7.7 m since FY2020, across 13 lenders, with a median approval of $116,000, plus 25 504 approvals worth $11.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Waldo County get paid back?
Of the 15 loans that have reached a final outcome, 14 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 6.7 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Waldo County?
145 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $44.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Waldo County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Waldo County come from?
The largest single origin is Waldo County Non-migrants, with 16,030 households. Arriving households report an average income of $81,272 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Waldo County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Waldo County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.