04538 ZIP Code — Boothbay Harbor, ME

Lincoln County, Maine

ZIP code 04538 is located in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, within Lincoln County. It covers approximately 4.53 square miles and serves a population of 1,737 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 207.

About ZIP code 04538

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $362,200. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 75%.

The gap between median ($63,375) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 61% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with retail trade as the leading industry. The average commute of 14 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 45% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

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

Overall, ZIP code 04538 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,737

population

4.53

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

04538 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 04538

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 04538. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Boothbay Harbor	Acceptable
Boothbay Harbor	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

04544 East Boothbay (1.9 mi) 04568 South Bristol (2.8 mi) 04537 Boothbay (3.1 mi) 04549 Isle Of Springs (3.2 mi) 04576 Southport (3.4 mi) 04571 Trevett (4.5 mi) 04554 New Harbor (5.7 mi) 04558 Pemaquid (5.7 mi) 04548 Georgetown (6.8 mi) 04541 Chamberlain (7 mi) 04573 Walpole (7.2 mi) 04556 Edgecomb (8.1 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	1,737
Population density	383 / sq mi
State FIPS	23
County FIPS	015

Geography
Land area	4.53 sq mi
Water area	1.85 sq mi
Latitude	43.8522
Longitude	-69.6187
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	207

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.2%	42.6%	42.3%
$50k – $100k	36.9%	35.0%	32.3%
$100k – $200k	12.3%	18.1%	20.6%
Over $200k	4.5%	4.3%	4.9%

Demographics & statistics

1,737

Population

383

People per sq mi

62.8

Median age

$63,375

Median household income

$46,390

Per capita income

$362,200

Median home value

$688

Median monthly rent

74.6%

Home ownership

10.5%

Poverty rate

2.8%

Unemployment

1,607

Housing units

45.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

115

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

120

126

65–74

197

75–84

153

85+

119

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	170	9.8%
18 and over	1,567	90.2%
65 and over	768	44.2%
Median age	62.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 93.4%

Asian 2.5%

Two or more races 2.4%

Black or African American 1.3%

Hispanic or Latino 0.4%

Other race 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	1,629	93.4%
Asian	43	2.5%
Two or more races	41	2.4%
Black or African American	22	1.3%
Hispanic or Latino	7	0.4%
Other race	2	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.2%	42.6%	42.3%
$50k – $100k	36.9%	35.0%	32.3%
$100k – $200k	12.3%	18.1%	20.6%
Over $200k	4.5%	4.3%	4.9%

Under $10k 2.6%

$10k–$15k 9.0%

$15k–$25k 11.0%

$25k–$35k 6.8%

$35k–$50k 13.3%

$50k–$75k 17.5%

$75k–$100k 16.6%

$100k–$150k 12.5%

$150k–$200k 3.7%

$200k+ 7.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.6%
$10k–$15k	9.0%
$15k–$25k	11.0%
$25k–$35k	6.8%
$35k–$50k	13.3%
$50k–$75k	17.5%
$75k–$100k	16.6%
$100k–$150k	12.5%
$150k–$200k	3.7%
$200k+	7.1%
Median income	$63,375

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.7%

$50k–$100k 1.9%

$100k–$150k 2.7%

$150k–$200k 4.3%

$200k–$300k 31.0%

$300k–$500k 33.3%

$500k–$1M 17.9%

$1M+ 7.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$362,200
Median rent / month	$688
Owner occupied	74.6%
Renter occupied	25.4%
Vacant	53.5%
Single-family detached	74.4%
Large apartment buildings	5.0%
Mobile homes	2.4%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.14

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.2%
2000–2009	5.8%
1990–1999	5.6%
1980–1989	18.6%
1970–1979	7.7%
1960–1969	7.2%
1950–1959	7.7%
1940–1949	4.3%
1939 or earlier	40.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.2%
1 bedroom	15.0%
2 bedrooms	31.9%
3 bedrooms	36.2%
4 bedrooms	9.1%
5+ bedrooms	6.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.9%
1 vehicle	50.0%
2 vehicles	32.1%
3 or more	14.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	9.1%
Electricity	9.4%
Propane / LP gas	21.2%
Fuel oil	52.9%
Wood	6.1%
No fuel used	1.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	321	37.9%
Cohabiting couple	56	6.6%
Male householder, no spouse	80	9.4%
Female householder, no spouse	391	46.1%
Households with children under 18	111	13.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	510	60.1%
Average household size	1.95

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.2%	17.8%
Married	58.7%	42.4%
Separated	2.1%	0.0%
Widowed	2.4%	18.6%
Divorced	10.6%	21.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.4%

Some HS, no diploma 4.7%

HS graduate 26.9%

Some college, no degree 11.6%

Associate's degree 9.3%

Bachelor's degree 32.7%

Graduate / professional 12.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.9%
Bachelor's or higher	45.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	116	60.1%
High school	50	25.9%
College / grad school	27	14.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 24.3%

Education & healthcare 18.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 15.5%

Professional & management 9.8%

Construction 9.5%

Other services 5.5%

Public administration 4.2%

Finance & real estate 4.0%

Manufacturing 3.6%

Agriculture & mining 2.3%

Transportation & utilities 2.3%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	42.1%
Service	13.9%
Sales & office	24.0%
Natural resources & construction	10.1%
Production & transportation	9.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	73.6%
Government	14.4%
Self-employed	12.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	70.2%
Carpool	5.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	11.1%
Work from home	13.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	14.0

Poverty

All people 10.5%

Under 18 years 13.4%

18 and over 10.1%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 10.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	61.2%
Retirement income	37.5%
Supplemental Security	3.5%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	24.2%
High blood pressure	39.0%
High cholesterol	36.3%
Diabetes	10.6%
Heart disease	9.0%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	9.5%
Arthritis	34.2%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	9.1%
Cancer	10.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.4%
Binge drinking	12.1%
No physical activity	20.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	26.8%
Depression	22.0%
Fair or poor health	12.4%
Poor mental health	11.6%
Poor physical health	10.0%
No health insurance	10.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.3%
Visited dentist	72.0%
Cholesterol screening	92.8%
Teeth loss	14.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	190	12.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.3%
Under 18	10.6%
18–64 years	12.9%
65 and over	33.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	70.5%
Public insurance	54.0%
No insurance	10.9%
Uninsured under 19	12.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,731	99.7%
Spanish	43	2.5%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	43	2.5%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,665	95.9%
Born in same state	1,604	92.3%
Born in different state	702	40.4%
Foreign born	61	3.5%
Naturalized citizen	72	4.1%
Not a US citizen	65	90.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	473	27.2%
Italian	222	12.8%
Arab	118	6.8%
German	105	6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	46	2.6%
Irish	11	0.6%
English	10	0.6%
Norwegian	10	0.6%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	48.8%
Internet access	95.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 04538

What city is ZIP code 04538 in?

ZIP code 04538 is primarily assigned to Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

What county is ZIP code 04538 in?

ZIP code 04538 falls within Lincoln County, Maine.

Does ZIP code 04538 have an older population?

44% of residents in ZIP code 04538 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 04538 have a large retiree population?

61% of households in ZIP code 04538 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 04538?

45% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Does ZIP code 04538 have a large veteran population?

12% of civilians in ZIP code 04538 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 04538 in?

ZIP code 04538 observes the EST timezone.