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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.

Harpswell, ME
Real Estate & Demographic Data






Harpswell profile


Living in Harpswell



Harpswell is a somewhat small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Maine. With a population of 5,041 people and two associated neighborhoods, Harpswell is the 76th largest community in Maine.

Harpswell home prices are not only among the most expensive in Maine, but Harpswell real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 17.36% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Another notable thing is that Harpswell is an extremely popular destination for tourists and seasonal residents. So much of the population is seasonal such that the town’s population swells significantly during the vacation season, and drops again when the season ends. Because of this, much of the local economy is centered around tourism; some businesses may be operated only during the high season. During the low season, year-round residents will notice that the city is a substantially quieter place to live.

The town is relatively quiet, having a combination of lower population density and few of those groups of people who have a tendency to be noisy. For example, Harpswell has relatively fewer families with younger children, and/or college students. Combined, this makes Harpswell a pretty quiet place to live overall. If you like quiet, you will probably enjoy it here.

Harpswell is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

Harpswell is a small town, and as such doesn't have a public transit system that people use to get to and from their jobs every day.

Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Harpswell. 53.92% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.

The per capita income in Harpswell in 2018 was $62,260, which is wealthy relative to Maine and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $249,040 for a family of four. However, Harpswell contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

The people who call Harpswell home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Harpswell residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Harpswell include English, Irish, German, French, and French Canadian.

The most common language spoken in Harpswell is English. Other important languages spoken here include Polish and French.