PlainZIP

Bethel, ME · standard

ZIP Code 04217

Oxford County, Maine - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

3,312
7/sq mi
$61,125
Median income
$329,700
Median home value
36.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Bethel pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

31th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 29%
home value, US ZIPs
7
people per sq mi
83%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 04217 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 04217 covers 473.1 square miles in Bethel, Oxford County, Maine (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,312 residents on file, a density of 7 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 04217 reports a modest median household income of $61,125 (17% below the Maine average), while per-capita income is $51,444. Local economic indicators show a 12.7% poverty rate alongside 5.1% unemployment. On housing, the median home value is $329,700 (16% above the state average) with median rent at $880 per month, and 83.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 36.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 52.1, and the average commute is 28 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 3 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 04217, plus 6 more within Oxford County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 04217

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Bethel, ME

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 04217.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 04217, Bethel, ME · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

3,312

Population

473.1

Area (sq mi)

7

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 04217?

52.1

Median Age

52.7%

Male

47.3%

Female

0.5%

Foreign-Born

White 90.4%
African American 0.6%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.5%
Hispanic or Latino 0.4%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$61,125

Median Household Income

-17% vs state

$51,444

Per Capita Income

12.7%

Poverty Rate

5.1%

Unemployment Rate

27.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 04217 ranks nationally

Bethel, ME household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$61,125 31st percentile higher than 31% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. 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, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 68.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 36.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

2,648

Total Housing Units

1,588

Occupied Units

1,060

Vacant Units

2.13

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 83.1%
Renter 16.9%

$329,700

Median Home Value

+16% vs state

$880

Median Rent

1985

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 158 business establishments in ZIP 04217, employing approximately 1,115 people with a combined annual payroll of $50,385,000.

158

Businesses

1,115

Employees

$50.4M

Annual Payroll

14

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 29 18.4%
Construction 24 15.2%
Accommodation and food services 23 14.6%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 13 8.2%
Health care and social assistance 12 7.6%
Other services (except public administration) 12 7.6%
Real estate and rental and leasing 11 7.0%
Finance and insurance 7 4.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 4 2.5%
Manufacturing 4 2.5%
Educational services 4 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 4 2.5%
Wholesale trade 3 1.9%
Information 3 1.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 04217 vs 04286 →

ZIP 04217 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 04217 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 04217 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 04217 ranks #2 of 3 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
04286 West Bethel, ME 47 2.8 mi
04231 Stoneham, ME 236 7.6 mi
04237 Hanover, ME 238 10.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Oxford County

04270 standard
Oxford, ME
Pop: 5,880
04276 standard
Rumford, ME
Pop: 5,841
04281 standard
South Paris, ME
Pop: 5,116
04268 standard
Norway, ME
Pop: 5,023
04037 standard
Fryeburg, ME
Pop: 3,834
04220 standard
Buckfield, ME
Pop: 3,077

Related Areas

Oxford County Bethel, ME Maine

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 04217 in? ▼
ZIP code 04217 (Bethel) is located in Oxford County, Maine. Oxford County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/oxford-me.
What is the population of ZIP code 04217? ▼
ZIP code 04217 in Bethel, ME has a population of 3,312 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 04217? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 04217 is $61,125, which is 20% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 04217? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 04217 is $329,700, which is 19% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 04217? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 04217 is White at 90.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 04217? ▼
ZIP code 04217 has 158 business establishments employing approximately 1,115 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 04217? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 04217 are: Retail trade (29), Construction (24), Accommodation and food services (23). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 04217? ▼
In ZIP code 04217, 68.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 36.9% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 04217? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 04217 is 27.9 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 04217? ▼
In ZIP code 04217, approximately 83.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 16.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 04217? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 04217 is 12.7% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.