Census: Mainers' Income Dropped 3.3% Last Year

PORTLAND, Maine - Census data indicates Maine, already the poorest state in New England, saw the nation's biggest drop in household income last year.The Portland Press Herald reports that household incomes dropped 3.3% from 2017 to 2018 based on the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The figures show household income in Maine declined from $57,486 in 2017 to $55,602 in 2018.
 
Economists said Maine's aging population likely played a role as more workers transitioned from jobs into retirement, with more limited income. But the economists also caution that American Community Survey was based on a limited sample size.
 
John Dorrer, a labor market economist, said there's a long-term trend underway as workers retire. Maine's median age of 44.9 years is the oldest in the country.