The Town FilesBethel, Maine
Community in Oxford County · population 658 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $379,500
- Jan low / Jul high
- 8° / 79°
- Snow a year
- 86 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 38.7
Bethel is a community of 658 people in Oxford County, Maine. The median home is worth $379,500, above the typical Maine town ($238,950). It ranks better for a vacation home than 80% of Maine towns, quieter than 71% of Maine towns.
How Bethel ranks
Percentile among Maine towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Maine towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Bethel is worth $379,500, above the typical Maine town ($238,950). Median rent is $860 a month. 47.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Bethel | Typical Maine town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $379,500 | $238,950 |
| Median rent | $860 | $1,027 |
| Median household income | — | $68,967 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 47.9% | 82.4% |
| Median year built | 1972 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 34.9% | — |
Who lives in Bethel
| People | Bethel | Typical Maine town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.7 | 46.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 19.4% | 22.9% |
| Under 18 | 23.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.7% | 28.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 22.3% | 10.7% |
| Veterans | 6.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 40.3% | 12.3% |
| Average commute | 10.0 min | 25.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.9% | 90.0% |
Weather in Bethel
July highs average 79.0°F and January lows 8.1°F. About 50.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 86.3 inches of snow (typical Maine town: 77.2 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 167 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bethel since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Maine town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on June 1, 2011 about 5.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 1, 2011.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 11 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 1, 2011.
Severe weather in Oxford County since 1996
Oxford County has been included in 37 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, freezing, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 30, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4754: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| September 14, 2023 | Hurricane | EM-3598: Hurricane Lee |
| September 6, 2023 | Flood | DR-4737: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| July 6, 2023 | Flood | DR-4719: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| March 22, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4696: Severe Storm And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Oxford County
Oxford County had 17,009 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,809 a year. Unemployment was 3.2% in 2023; in Bethel itself the ACS puts it at 7.6%.
Towns near Bethel
- Bethel, ME3.3 mi · 2,504 people · home $344,900
- Greenwood, ME7.6 mi · 774 people · home $228,700
- Woodstock, ME11.3 mi · 1,352 people · home $219,600
- Andover, ME13.0 mi · 752 people · home $168,300
- Rumford, ME13.4 mi · 5,858 people · home $127,700
- Waterford, ME14.2 mi · 1,570 people · home $273,800
- West Paris, ME14.3 mi · 1,766 people · home $193,000
- Rumford, ME14.8 mi · 4,298 people · home $123,200
Bethel questions
Is Bethel, Maine a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bethel scores better for retirees than 65% of Maine towns and quieter than 71%. 19.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.7).
How much does a house cost in Bethel?
The median owner-occupied home in Bethel is valued at $379,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of —. Median rent is $860 a month.
What is the weather like in Bethel?
July highs average 79.0°F and January lows 8.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 50.9 inches of precipitation a year and 86.3 inches of snow.
Does Bethel get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bethel since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on June 1, 2011. The typical Maine town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)