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MEMaine rankings

Towns with the most-used public libraries in Maine

Ranked by library visits per resident in a year, at the public library that serves the town. 98 towns with 2,500+ residents.

IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024

Gray
Maine · Most-used libraries

Where Gray lands: #59 of 98

2.2 per resident library visits a year · Visit Gray →

Camden 1 Camden Knox County 37.4 per resident Camden Public Library Belfast 2 Belfast 17.6 per resident Belfast Free Library Kennebunkport 3 Kennebunkport York County 14.1 per resident Louis T. Graves Memorial Library
#TownVisits per residentLibraryVisits a year
1 Camden CamdenKnox County · 5,242 people 37.4 per resident Camden Public Library 195,222
2 Belfast Belfast6,986 people 17.6 per resident Belfast Free Library 124,620
3 Kennebunkport KennebunkportYork County · 3,684 people 14.1 per resident Louis T. Graves Memorial Library 52,000
4 Rockland Rockland7,035 people 13.2 per resident Rockland Public Library 92,507
5 Rockport RockportKnox County · 3,675 people 12.3 per resident Rockport Public Library 45,326
6 Cape Elizabeth Cape ElizabethCumberland County · 9,606 people 10.9 per resident Thomas Memorial Library 105,000
7 Hallowell Hallowell2,592 people 10.6 per resident Hubbard Free Library 27,724
8 Brunswick BrunswickCumberland County · 22,336 people 9.7 per resident Curtis Memorial Library 266,850
9 Bar Harbor Bar HarborHancock County · 5,244 people 8.6 per resident Jesup Memorial Library 45,394
10 Dover-Foxcroft Dover-FoxcroftPiscataquis County · 4,506 people 7.7 per resident Thompson Free Library 34,733
11 Winthrop WinthropKennebec County · 6,191 people 7.2 per resident Charles M. Bailey Public Library 44,391
12 Wells WellsYork County · 11,713 people 7.1 per resident Wells Public Library 83,811
13 Freeport FreeportCumberland County · 8,802 people 6.7 per resident Freeport Community Library 59,068
14 YorkYork County · 13,986 people 6.6 per resident York Public Library 92,884
15 Millinocket MillinocketPenobscot County · 4,115 people 6.2 per resident Millinocket Memorial Library 25,231
16 OrringtonPenobscot County · 3,853 people 6.1 per resident Orrington Public Library 23,800
17 St. George St. GeorgeKnox County · 2,606 people 6.0 per resident Jackson Memorial Library 15,540
18 Bangor Bangor31,938 people 5.8 per resident Bangor Public Library 184,828
19 Portland Portland68,854 people 5.5 per resident Portland Public Library 379,746
20 Saco Saco20,819 people 5.4 per resident Dyer Library 113,883
21 Paris ParisOxford County · 5,317 people 5.3 per resident Paris Public Library 28,500
22 LincolnPenobscot County · 4,890 people 5.2 per resident Lincoln Memorial Library 25,300
23 Topsham TopshamSagadahoc County · 9,706 people 5.1 per resident Topsham Public Library 49,249
24 Map of Scarborough ScarboroughCumberland County · 23,215 people 5.0 per resident Scarborough Public Library 117,322
25 Augusta Augusta19,077 people 4.7 per resident Lithgow Public Library 90,488
26 North Berwick North BerwickYork County · 5,129 people 4.5 per resident D.A. Hurd Library 23,243
27 Kittery KitteryYork County · 10,473 people 4.3 per resident Rice Public Library 46,234
28 Map of Searsport SearsportWaldo County · 2,655 people 4.2 per resident Carver Memorial Library 11,085
29 Farmington FarmingtonFranklin County · 8,157 people 4.0 per resident Farmington Public Library 33,844
30 Yarmouth YarmouthCumberland County · 9,053 people 3.9 per resident Merrill Memorial Library 35,557
31 Eliot EliotYork County · 7,146 people 3.9 per resident William Fogg Public Library 28,696
32 Calais Calais3,097 people 3.8 per resident Calais Free Library 11,885
33 Old Orchard Beach Old Orchard BeachYork County · 9,244 people 3.7 per resident Libby Memorial Library 34,249
34 South Berwick South BerwickYork County · 7,670 people 3.7 per resident South Berwick Public Library 28,717
35 Naples NaplesCumberland County · 3,985 people 3.5 per resident Naples Public Library 13,815
36 Biddeford Biddeford22,498 people 3.3 per resident Mcarthur Public Library 73,819
37 Wilton WiltonFranklin County · 3,862 people 3.3 per resident Wilton Free Public Library 12,775
38 Brewer Brewer9,652 people 3.2 per resident Brewer Public Library 30,883
39 Presque Isle Presque Isle8,736 people 3.1 per resident Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library 27,001
40 Berwick BerwickYork County · 8,175 people 3.1 per resident Berwick Public Library 25,388
41 Bridgton BridgtonCumberland County · 5,642 people 3.1 per resident Bridgton Public Library 17,563
42 Auburn Auburn24,602 people 3.0 per resident Auburn Public Library 83,739
43 Falmouth FalmouthCumberland County · 12,755 people 3.0 per resident Falmouth Memorial Library 39,230
44 Hampden HampdenPenobscot County · 7,896 people 3.0 per resident Edythe Dyer Community Library 23,627
45 Bristol BristolLincoln County · 2,917 people 3.0 per resident Bristol Area Library 8,846
46 Norway NorwayOxford County · 5,228 people 2.9 per resident Norway Memorial Library 15,402
47 Union UnionKnox County · 2,663 people 2.9 per resident Vose Library 7,149
48 Turner TurnerAndroscoggin County · 5,891 people 2.8 per resident Turner Public Library 16,496
49 Raymond RaymondCumberland County · 4,610 people 2.7 per resident Raymond Village Library 12,500
50 Winslow WinslowKennebec County · 8,023 people 2.6 per resident Winslow Public Library 20,634
51 Readfield ReadfieldKennebec County · 2,651 people 2.6 per resident Readfield Community Library 6,943
52 Westbrook Westbrook20,775 people 2.5 per resident Walker Memorial Library 50,700
53 Windham WindhamCumberland County · 19,188 people 2.5 per resident Windham Public Library 49,770
54 Sanford Sanford22,247 people 2.4 per resident Goodall Memorial Library 54,253
55 Thomaston ThomastonKnox County · 2,769 people 2.4 per resident Thomaston Public Library 6,719
56 Waterville Waterville17,077 people 2.3 per resident Waterville Public Library 38,654
57 Map of Waldoboro WaldoboroLincoln County · 5,253 people 2.3 per resident Waldoboro Public Library 12,376
58 Skowhegan SkowheganSomerset County · 8,653 people 2.2 per resident Skowhegan Free Public Library 18,993
59 Gray GrayCumberland County · 8,429 people 2.2 per resident Gray Public Library 18,237
60 Lisbon LisbonAndroscoggin County · 9,750 people 2.1 per resident Lisbon Library Dept 20,609
61 Vassalboro VassalboroKennebec County · 4,592 people 2.1 per resident Vassalboro Public Library 9,668
62 Map of Madawaska MadawaskaAroostook County · 3,853 people 2.1 per resident Madawaska Public Library 8,152
63 Alfred AlfredYork County · 3,125 people 2.1 per resident Parsons Memorial Library 6,623
64 Jay JayFranklin County · 4,657 people 2.0 per resident Jay-Niles Memorial Library 9,270
65 South Portland South Portland26,930 people 1.8 per resident South Portland Public Library 47,688
66 Poland PolandAndroscoggin County · 5,954 people 1.8 per resident Ricker Memorial Library 10,907
67 RichmondSagadahoc County · 3,566 people 1.8 per resident Isaac F. Umberhine Public Library 6,587
68 New Gloucester New GloucesterCumberland County · 5,766 people 1.7 per resident New Gloucester Public Library 9,776
69 Greene GreeneAndroscoggin County · 4,417 people 1.6 per resident Julia Adams Morse Memorial Library 6,953
70 Limerick LimerickYork County · 3,400 people 1.6 per resident Limerick Public Library 5,509
71 Bowdoinham BowdoinhamSagadahoc County · 3,142 people 1.6 per resident Bowdoinham Public Library 5,000
72 Fairfield FairfieldSomerset County · 6,519 people 1.5 per resident Lawrence Public Library 10,100
73 Monmouth MonmouthKennebec County · 4,162 people 1.5 per resident Cumston Public Library 6,102
74 Fort Kent Fort KentAroostook County · 4,150 people 1.5 per resident Fort Kent Public Library 6,454
75 Livermore Falls Livermore FallsAndroscoggin County · 3,102 people 1.5 per resident Treat Memorial Library 4,528
76 Lewiston Lewiston38,324 people 1.2 per resident Lewiston Public Library 44,423
77 Clinton ClintonKennebec County · 3,385 people 1.2 per resident Brown Memorial Library - Clinton 4,148
78 Carmel CarmelPenobscot County · 2,941 people 1.2 per resident Simpson Memorial Library 3,651
79 Waterboro WaterboroYork County · 8,055 people 1.1 per resident Waterboro Public Library 8,782
80 Winterport WinterportWaldo County · 3,850 people 1.1 per resident Winterport Memorial Library 4,256
81 Acton ActonYork County · 2,721 people 1.1 per resident Acton Public Library 2,881
82 Limington LimingtonYork County · 4,017 people 1.0 per resident Davis Memorial Library 4,205
83 Fryeburg FryeburgOxford County · 3,489 people 1.0 per resident Fryeburg Public Library 3,472
84 Mechanic Falls Mechanic FallsAndroscoggin County · 3,134 people 1.0 per resident Mechanic Falls Public Library 3,003
85 Oakland OaklandKennebec County · 6,309 people 0.9 per resident Oakland Public Library 5,912
86 Rumford RumfordOxford County · 5,942 people 0.9 per resident Rumford Public Library 6,300
87 Warren WarrenKnox County · 4,932 people 0.9 per resident Warren Free Public Library 4,354
88 Fort Fairfield Fort FairfieldAroostook County · 3,309 people 0.8 per resident Fort Fairfield Public Library 2,584
89 Norridgewock NorridgewockSomerset County · 3,288 people 0.8 per resident Norridgewock Public Library 2,714
90 Shapleigh ShapleighYork County · 2,976 people 0.8 per resident Shapleigh Community Library 2,338
91 MexicoOxford County · 2,782 people 0.8 per resident Mexico Free Public Library 2,348
92 Belgrade BelgradeKennebec County · 3,351 people 0.6 per resident Belgrade Public Library 1,976
93 Harpswell HarpswellCumberland County · 5,046 people 0.5 per resident Orrs Island Library 2,309
94 Oxford OxfordOxford County · 4,333 people 0.4 per resident Freeland Holmes Library 1,760
95 Map of China ChinaKennebec County · 4,526 people 0.2 per resident South China Public Library 978
96 Standish StandishCumberland County · 10,662 people 0.1 per resident Richville Library 1,125
97 Buxton BuxtonYork County · 8,512 people 0.1 per resident West Buxton Public Library Association 929
98 Lebanon LebanonYork County · 6,629 people 0.1 per resident Martha Sawyer Community Library 661

How this ranking works

We rank every town by library visits per resident in a year, at the public library that serves the town. The highest figure ranks #1. Each library reports its own yearly numbers to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (fiscal year 2024), and each town’s Library page shows how it compares with libraries of a similar size nationwide.

A town is ranked only when its library system serves that town alone, and the library’s own count of the people it serves is within 20% of the town’s population. Towns served by a county or regional system, or sharing a library with a neighbor, can’t be credited with the numbers, so they aren’t ranked. Libraries that didn’t respond to the survey aren’t ranked either. Vacation towns can rank high because summer residents and visitors use the library too.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Libraries: IMLS Public Libraries Survey. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

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