04217 ZIP Code — Bethel, ME

Oxford County, Maine

ZIP code 04217 is located in Bethel, Maine, within Oxford County. It covers approximately 184.28 square miles and serves a population of 3,364 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 207.

About ZIP code 04217

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $236,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($42,930) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 22% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 17% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 47% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 32 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 33% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 04217 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

3,364

population

184.28

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

04217 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 04217

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 04217. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Bethel	Acceptable
Bethel	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

04237 Hanover (8 mi) 04261 Newry (9.6 mi) 04255 Greenwood (10.1 mi) 04219 Bryant Pond (10.2 mi) 04231 Stoneham (10.3 mi) 04276 Rumford (14.4 mi) 03581 Gorham (14.6 mi) 04226 East Andover (15 mi) 04051 Lovell (15 mi) 04088 Waterford (15.1 mi) 04289 West Paris (15.9 mi) 04268 Norway (16.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,364
Population density	18 / sq mi
State FIPS	23
County FIPS	017

Geography
Land area	184.28 sq mi
Water area	2.82 sq mi
Latitude	44.4075
Longitude	-70.8360
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	207

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	55.3%	50.1%	42.3%
$50k – $100k	25.3%	31.6%	32.3%
$100k – $200k	16.9%	16.1%	20.6%
Over $200k	2.4%	2.2%	4.9%

Demographics & statistics

3,364

Population

People per sq mi

47.7

Median age

$42,930

Median household income

$35,273

Per capita income

$236,600

Median home value

$764

Median monthly rent

85.7%

Home ownership

22.4%

Poverty rate

5.8%

Unemployment

2,425

Housing units

32.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

105

Under 5

117

5–9

104

10–14

15–19

20–24

161

25–34

143

256

35–44

227

209

45–54

186

131

55–59

117

165

60–64

147

238

65–74

212

106

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	605	18.0%
18 and over	2,759	82.0%
65 and over	826	24.6%
Median age	47.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 84.7%

Hispanic or Latino 5.8%

Two or more races 5.2%

Other race 3.8%

Black or African American 0.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	3,025	84.7%
Hispanic or Latino	207	5.8%
Two or more races	186	5.2%
Other race	135	3.8%
Black or African American	8	0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	0.2%
Asian	4	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	55.3%	50.1%	42.3%
$50k – $100k	25.3%	31.6%	32.3%
$100k – $200k	16.9%	16.1%	20.6%
Over $200k	2.4%	2.2%	4.9%

Under $10k 7.3%

$10k–$15k 3.6%

$15k–$25k 9.9%

$25k–$35k 15.3%

$35k–$50k 19.1%

$50k–$75k 11.9%

$75k–$100k 10.0%

$100k–$150k 13.0%

$150k–$200k 6.7%

$200k+ 3.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.3%
$10k–$15k	3.6%
$15k–$25k	9.9%
$25k–$35k	15.3%
$35k–$50k	19.1%
$50k–$75k	11.9%
$75k–$100k	10.0%
$100k–$150k	13.0%
$150k–$200k	6.7%
$200k+	3.2%
Median income	$42,930

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.5%

$50k–$100k 8.6%

$100k–$150k 5.4%

$150k–$200k 10.4%

$200k–$300k 37.6%

$300k–$500k 23.0%

$500k–$1M 5.1%

$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$236,600
Median rent / month	$764
Owner occupied	85.7%
Renter occupied	14.3%
Vacant	41.7%
Single-family detached	74.8%
Large apartment buildings	3.2%
Mobile homes	7.6%
Median rooms	4.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.14

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.6%
2000–2009	24.7%
1990–1999	13.4%
1980–1989	13.6%
1970–1979	9.9%
1960–1969	10.9%
1950–1959	2.9%
1940–1949	1.8%
1939 or earlier	20.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.1%
1 bedroom	14.1%
2 bedrooms	27.4%
3 bedrooms	43.4%
4 bedrooms	9.3%
5+ bedrooms	3.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.0%
1 vehicle	36.4%
2 vehicles	40.8%
3 or more	17.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.3%
Electricity	5.8%
Propane / LP gas	8.2%
Fuel oil	60.5%
Wood	21.9%
Solar	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	698	45.2%
Cohabiting couple	193	12.5%
Male householder, no spouse	318	20.6%
Female householder, no spouse	334	21.6%
Households with children under 18	400	25.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	670	43.4%
Average household size	2.18

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	32.6%	23.1%
Married	48.6%	48.9%
Separated	0.1%	2.1%
Widowed	6.3%	11.4%
Divorced	12.4%	14.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.7%

Some HS, no diploma 4.2%

HS graduate 35.7%

Some college, no degree 13.1%

Associate's degree 13.8%

Bachelor's degree 21.0%

Graduate / professional 11.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.2%
Bachelor's or higher	32.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	47	7.9%
Kindergarten	51	8.5%
Elementary school	273	45.7%
High school	97	16.2%
College / grad school	130	21.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 18.1%

Construction 11.5%

Retail trade 10.6%

Transportation & utilities 8.9%

Manufacturing 7.1%

Professional & management 6.2%

Other services 4.1%

Agriculture & mining 3.3%

Public administration 3.0%

Finance & real estate 2.6%

Information 2.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	36.3%
Service	19.2%
Sales & office	18.5%
Natural resources & construction	15.0%
Production & transportation	11.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.6%
Government	10.3%
Self-employed	12.6%
Unpaid family workers	1.5%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.6%
Carpool	2.1%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	5.5%
Work from home	16.9%
Other means	2.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	31.6

Poverty

All people 22.4%

Under 18 years 51.5%

18 and over 16.4%

Married-couple families 20.1%

Female-led households 45.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	47.3%
Retirement income	22.2%
Supplemental Security	3.4%
Cash public assistance	6.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	17.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.0%
High blood pressure	32.8%
High cholesterol	33.3%
Diabetes	9.9%
Heart disease	7.2%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	11.5%
Arthritis	28.4%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	8.8%
Cancer	7.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.7%
Binge drinking	15.6%
No physical activity	20.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.5%
Depression	22.9%
Fair or poor health	13.3%
Poor mental health	14.1%
Poor physical health	10.5%
No health insurance	12.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.5%
Visited dentist	60.9%
Cholesterol screening	90.0%
Teeth loss	17.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	325	11.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.3%
Under 18	4.8%
18–64 years	8.8%
65 and over	25.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	53.7%
Public insurance	53.7%
No insurance	8.8%
Uninsured under 19	4.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,165	94.1%
Spanish	10	0.3%
Other Indo-European	2	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	8	0.3%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,355	99.7%
Born in same state	3,341	99.3%
Born in different state	1,980	58.9%
Foreign born	14	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	9	0.3%
Not a US citizen	9	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	851	25.3%
Italian	698	20.7%
Arab	182	5.4%
German	127	3.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	84	2.5%
English	56	1.7%
Irish	6	0.2%
Dutch	6	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.9%
Internet access	92.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 04217

What city is ZIP code 04217 in?

ZIP code 04217 is primarily assigned to Bethel, Maine.

What county is ZIP code 04217 in?

ZIP code 04217 falls within Oxford County, Maine.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 04217?

22% of residents in ZIP code 04217 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 04217 have a large retiree population?

47% of households in ZIP code 04217 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 04217 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 04217 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 04217 have a large veteran population?

12% of civilians in ZIP code 04217 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 04217 in?

ZIP code 04217 observes the EST timezone.