Orono is a small town with a large college student population. Because of this, there is a real youthful, hip vibe to the place, and much of the life in the town is centered on the college. This has helped Orono to buck the trend of other small towns that have suffered declining populations over the past 20 to 30 years. Spending by students, and faculty and staff jobs, are a big part of the local economy.
Orono, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the town.
Compared to the rest of the country, citizens of Orono spend much less time in their cars: on average, their commute to work is only 17.97 minutes. This also means that noise and pollution levels in the town are less than they would otherwise be.
If knowledge is power, Orono is a pretty powerful place. 67.75% of the adults in Orono have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.
The per capita income in Orono in 2022 was $29,901, which is lower middle income relative to Maine, and middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $119,604 for a family of four. However, Orono contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
Orono is a somewhat ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Orono home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Orono residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Orono include Irish, English, German, French, and Italian.
The most common language spoken in Orono is English. Other important languages spoken here include Chinese and French.
