PlainZIP

Boothbay Harbor, ME · standard

ZIP Code 04538

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

2,080
165/sq mi
$56,500
Median income
$388,100
Median home value
42.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Boothbay Harbor pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

23th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 22%
home value, US ZIPs
165
people per sq mi
73%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 04538 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 04538 covers 12.6 square miles in Boothbay Harbor, Lincoln County, Maine (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,080 residents on file, a density of 165 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 04538 reports a modest median household income of $56,500 (23% below the Maine average), while per-capita income is $40,517. The poverty rate stands at 18.2% and the unemployment rate at 2.0%. Housing costs here run $388,100 for a typical home value (37% above the state average), with rent averaging $1,058 a month; 73.0% of homes are owner-occupied.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 42.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 64.4, and the average commute is -. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 04538, plus 6 more within Lincoln 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 04538

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Boothbay Harbor, ME

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 04538.

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 04538, Boothbay Harbor, 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

2,080

Population

12.6

Area (sq mi)

165

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 04538?

64.4

Median Age

40.8%

Male

59.2%

Female

3.9%

Foreign-Born

White 92.8%
African American 0.9%
Asian 3.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%

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?

$56,500

Median Household Income

-23% vs state

$40,517

Per Capita Income

18.2%

Poverty Rate

2.0%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 04538 ranks nationally

Boothbay Harbor, ME household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$56,500 23rd percentile higher than 23% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 70.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 42.4%

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

What does housing look like?

1,892

Total Housing Units

978

Occupied Units

914

Vacant Units

1.78

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 73.0%
Renter 27.0%

$388,100

Median Home Value

+37% vs state

$1,058

Median Rent

1957

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 189 business establishments in ZIP 04538, employing approximately 918 people with a combined annual payroll of $56,867,000.

189

Businesses

918

Employees

$56.9M

Annual Payroll

14

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 46 24.3%
Accommodation and food services 41 21.7%
Other services (except public administration) 16 8.5%
Construction 14 7.4%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 14 7.4%
Finance and insurance 9 4.8%
Health care and social assistance 9 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 8 4.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing 7 3.7%
Wholesale trade 5 2.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 4 2.1%
Information 4 2.1%
Manufacturing 3 1.6%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 3 1.6%

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 04538 vs 04575 →

ZIP 04538 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 04538 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 04538 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 04538 ranks #9 of 9 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
04575 West Boothbay Harbor, ME 85 1.6 mi
04537 Boothbay, ME 2,073 2.8 mi
04570 Squirrel Island, ME 2 3.3 mi
04544 East Boothbay, ME 724 2.3 mi
04576 Southport, ME 604 3.0 mi
04571 Trevett, ME 323 3.6 mi
04568 South Bristol, ME 391 4.0 mi
04556 Edgecomb, ME 1,249 7.8 mi
04554 New Harbor, ME 710 6.2 mi
04558 Pemaquid, ME 308 6.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Lincoln County

04572 standard
Waldoboro, ME
Pop: 5,075
04578 standard
Wiscasset, ME
Pop: 4,450
04348 standard
Jefferson, ME
Pop: 2,976
04353 standard
Whitefield, ME
Pop: 2,300
04543 standard
Damariscotta, ME
Pop: 2,218
04537 standard
Boothbay, ME
Pop: 2,073

Related Areas

Lincoln County Boothbay Harbor, ME Maine

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 04538 in? ▼
ZIP code 04538 (Boothbay Harbor) is located in Lincoln County, Maine. Lincoln County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lincoln-me.
What is the population of ZIP code 04538? ▼
ZIP code 04538 in Boothbay Harbor, ME has a population of 2,080 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 04538? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 04538 is $56,500, which is 26% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 04538? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 04538 is $388,100, which is 40% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 04538? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 04538 is White at 92.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 04538? ▼
ZIP code 04538 has 189 business establishments employing approximately 918 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 04538? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 04538 are: Retail trade (46), Accommodation and food services (41), Other services (except public administration) (16). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 04538? ▼
In ZIP code 04538, 70.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 42.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 04538? ▼
In ZIP code 04538, approximately 73.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 27.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 04538? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 04538 is 18.2% 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.