PlainZIP

Thorndike, ME · standard

ZIP Code 04986

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

1,721
12/sq mi
$71,833
Median income
$184,500
Median home value
25.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

Top 50%
household income, US ZIPs
39th pct
home value, US ZIPs
12
people per sq mi
84%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 04986 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 04986 covers 143.4 square miles in Thorndike, Waldo County, Maine (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,721 residents on file, a density of 12 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 04986 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $71,833 (2% below the Maine average), while per-capita income is $26,113. Poverty here runs at 7.2%, with unemployment measured at 2.4%. Housing costs here run $184,500 for a typical home value (35% below the state average), with rent averaging $1,288 a month; 83.6% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 25.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33, and the average commute is 33 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 6 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 04986, plus 6 more within Waldo 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 →

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 04986, Thorndike, 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

1,721

Population

143.4

Area (sq mi)

12

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 04986?

33.0

Median Age

56.0%

Male

44.0%

Female

0.6%

Foreign-Born

White 98.5%
African American 0.2%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.3%
Hispanic or Latino 0.6%

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?

$71,833

Median Household Income

-2% vs state

$26,113

Per Capita Income

7.2%

Poverty Rate

2.4%

Unemployment Rate

32.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 04986 ranks nationally

Thorndike, ME household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$71,833 Top 50% higher than 50% 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 62.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 25.6%

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

What does housing look like?

761

Total Housing Units

688

Occupied Units

73

Vacant Units

3.24

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 83.6%
Renter 16.4%

$184,500

Median Home Value

-35% vs state

$1,288

Median Rent

1984

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 22 business establishments in ZIP 04986, employing approximately 116 people with a combined annual payroll of $4,221,000.

22

Businesses

116

Employees

$4.2M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 6 27.3%
Construction 3 13.6%

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 04986 vs 04921 →

ZIP 04986 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 04986 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 04986 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 04986 ranks #2 of 7 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
04921 Brooks, ME 1,593 4.6 mi
04987 Troy, ME 1,030 8.9 mi
04941 Freedom, ME 1,751 7.2 mi
04988 Unity, ME 2,134 7.4 mi
04952 Morrill, ME 1,829 10.7 mi
04932 Dixmont, ME 1,181 10.8 mi

More ZIP Codes in Waldo County

04915 standard
Belfast, ME
Pop: 8,806
04496 standard
Winterport, ME
Pop: 3,757
04849 standard
Lincolnville, ME
Pop: 3,684
04974 standard
Searsport, ME
Pop: 2,611
04981 standard
Stockton Springs, ME
Pop: 2,316
04988 standard
Unity, ME
Pop: 2,134

Related Areas

Waldo County Thorndike, ME Maine

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 04986 in? ▼
ZIP code 04986 (Thorndike) is located in Waldo County, Maine. Waldo County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/waldo-me.
What is the population of ZIP code 04986? ▼
ZIP code 04986 in Thorndike, ME has a population of 1,721 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 04986? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 04986 is $71,833, which is 6% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 04986? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 04986 is $184,500, which is 34% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 04986? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 04986 is White at 98.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 04986? ▼
ZIP code 04986 has 22 business establishments employing approximately 116 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 04986? ▼
In ZIP code 04986, 62.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 25.6% 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 04986? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 04986 is 32.5 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 04986? ▼
In ZIP code 04986, approximately 83.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 16.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 04986? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 04986 is 7.2% 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.