According to website ESRI, most of Maine is a desert — if you analyze it by ZIP code

ESRI — a company that makes Geographic Information System software, or GIS — recently launched a website that allows the user to plug any ZIP code in the U.S. into a program that finds what they call your “Tapestry Lifestyle Segmentation.” Basically, they take fundamental population statistics, like household income, age and population density, and use that to create a picture of the demographics in a particular zip code that would be useful to marketers.

For instance, if you were to put in Bangor’s ZIP code, 04401, here’s what you would get:

image

And the largest “tapestry” marketing demographic in Bangor, at 24% of the population, is the “In Style” demographic.

image (1)

Now, it’s true that Bangor is the economic and cultural hub of eastern Maine… but I’m not sure that the average Bangorian is “well-invested and well-insured.” Also, by this site’s findings, Bangor only has a population density of 449 people per square mile. If you multiply that by Bangor’s total geographic area (a hefty 34.29) that means Bangor should only have a population of about 15,400. Bangor’s actual population is about 33,000. It also doesn’t factor in the fact that Bangor’s other ZIP code, 04402, is for P.O. boxes only, meaning, potentially, a whole segment of the population is left out.

Let’s take a look at how ESRI views Lewiston (04240) as a marketing demographic.

image (2)

While the bit about renting apartments might be true, as BDN online editor Pattie Reaves, a former resident of Lewiston, says, “I love Lewiston and am the first to talk it up, but NO, that is NOT LEWISTON.” Anyone go clubbing in Lewiston lately?

When you plug in the zip code for Downtown Portland (04101) it says a full 51% of the population are either “Set to Impress” — image conscious people who like to shop and go “clubbing” — or “Micro Renters” — yoga loving, condo renting, long hours working. And yet, the average income for this zip code is listed at $26,000 per year. Do you know a lot of people who can shop at Nordstrom and Whole Foods with a $26,000 per year income? Even Belfast, known statewide as a bastion of organic food and art galleries, is home to, according to ESPI, mostly religious conservatives and older retirees.

Interestingly, many Maine towns qualify as “deserts” according to this matrix — a town with a population of less than 100 per square mile is classified as a desert. As in, nobody actually lives there. This means Skowhegan (04976), with a population of around 8,800, is a desert. So isn’t Old Town (04468), population 7,700, Farmington (04838), population 7,400, and Houlton (04730), population 6,500. Even Augusta, with a population of 19,000, clocks in at just 217 people per square mile — very nearly a desert, though I’m sure there are plenty of government workers who would argue with that.

In fact, according to ESPI, the entire state of Maine is either a desert or rural, outside of a few zip codes in Portland and Lewiston — the state average population density is just 44 people per square mile. And not one zip code squeaks above the “large town/small city” average. Which, considering a full third of the state is uninhabited, isn’t actually that far off. Unless we want to do a demographic research poll of bears and moose.

So what do you think? Do you think this is accurate? It’s certainly going to spur a lot of conversation. Click through and see what your town’s demographics look like.

Emily Burnham

About Emily Burnham

Emily Burnham is a Maine native, UMaine graduate, proud Bangorian and a writer for the Bangor Daily News, where she's worked since 2004. She reports on everything from local bands to local food to all the cool things going on in the Greater Bangor area. In her quest for stories, she's seen countless concerts and plays, been lobster fishing, interviewed celebrities, hung out with water buffalo and played in a ukulele orchestra. She's interested in everything that happens in Maine.