The Town Files

Hope, Maine

Town in Knox County · population 1,698 (2020 Census)

Map: where Hope is in MaineHope
Median home
$373,400
Household income
$86,766
Jan low / Jul high
12° / 77°
Snow a year
69 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
44.6

Hope is a town of 1,698 people in Knox County, Maine. The median home is worth $373,400, above the typical Maine town ($238,950). It ranks better for families than 98% of Maine towns, better for a vacation home than 91% of Maine towns, more of a college town than 84% of Maine towns.

Hope in our rankings:

How Hope 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.

Hope lifestyle rankings vs other Maine townsRetirement74th pctFamilies98th pctQuiet33rd pctWalkability48th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals62nd pctVibrancy25th pctHip & trendy72nd pctCollege town84th pctUpscale75th pctVacation homes91st pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving33rd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Hope is worth $373,400, above the typical Maine town ($238,950). Homes cost about 4.3 times the median household income of $86,766, which is more affordable than 23% of Maine towns. Median rent is $1,219 a month. 92.9% of households own their home.

Hope vs Knox County vs typical Maine townHopeKnox CountyTypical Maine townHome value$373,400$324,900$238,950Household income$86,766$74,096$68,967Monthly rent$1,219$1,165$1,027
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Maine towns with 500+ people.
HousingHopeTypical Maine town
Median home value$373,400$238,950
Median rent$1,219$1,027
Median household income$86,766$68,967
Home value ÷ income4.3×3.4×
Homeownership92.9%82.4%
Median year built19911978
Seasonal / vacation homes15.3%—

Who lives in Hope

PeopleHopeTypical Maine town
Median age44.646.9
Age 65 and over21.1%22.9%
Under 1823.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher47.4%28.2%
Below the poverty line5.3%10.7%
Veterans7.7%—
Born outside the U.S.1.9%—
Work from home18.3%12.3%
Average commute19.9 min25.5 min
Homes with broadband93.2%90.0%

Weather in Hope

July highs average 76.7°F and January lows 12.0°F. About 56.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 68.7 inches of snow (typical Maine town: 77.2 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 148 nights at or below freezing.

Hope monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing30°12°Jan33°14°Feb40°22°Mar51°34°Apr62°44°May71°54°Jun77°60°Jul76°59°Aug69°52°Sep57°41°Oct47°31°Nov36°20°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue4.817.24.219.25.011.35.23.54.24.53.23.44.56.10.25.32.35.915.0
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the W Rockport 1 Nnw station (4.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Hope since 1950.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on August 18, 1996.

Severe weather in Knox County since 1996

Storm events in Knox County since 1996 by typeHail10Flood31Drought21High Wind24Lightning9Heavy Snow101Strong Wind39Winter Storm30
NOAA Storm Events Database, Knox County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Knox County has been included in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 20, 2024Severe StormDR-4764: Severe Storms And Flooding
September 14, 2023HurricaneEM-3598: Hurricane Lee
July 6, 2023FloodDR-4719: Severe Storm And Flooding
March 22, 2023Severe StormDR-4696: Severe Storm And Flooding
March 15, 2022Coastal StormDR-4647: Severe Storm And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Knox County

Knox County had 16,874 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,720 a year. Unemployment was 2.9% in 2023; in Hope itself the ACS puts it at 1.9%.

Largest industries in Knox CountyRetail2,820 jobs · $39,043Health care & social assistan…2,529 jobs · $70,584Hotels & restaurants1,883 jobs · $32,897Manufacturing1,464 jobs · $61,185Other services692 jobs · $44,477Administrative & support568 jobs · $50,075
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Knox County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Knox 2.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Hope

1 public school with 137 students, about 7.6 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Hope Elementary SchoolPK-81377.6

Towns near Hope

Hope questions

Is Hope, Maine a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Hope scores better for retirees than 74% of Maine towns and quieter than 33%. 21.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.6).

How much does a house cost in Hope?

The median owner-occupied home in Hope is valued at $373,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $86,766, so homes cost about 4.3 times income. Median rent is $1,219 a month.

What is the weather like in Hope?

July highs average 76.7°F and January lows 12.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 56.2 inches of precipitation a year and 68.7 inches of snow.

Does Hope get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Hope in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Hope's Census boundary (GEOID 2301333840). Comparisons use the median of Maine towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.