Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 11 M A R C H 6 , 2 0 1 7 F O C U S W E S T E R N M A I N E 1 2 4 1 2 4 5 1 2 3 3 Appalachian Appalachian Appalachian Appalachian National Scenic Trail National Scenic Trail National Scenic Trail National Scenic Trail 3 THERE IS A DIFFERENCE A DIFFERENCE THERE IS Because Construction Management Design/Build General Contracting Engineering Construction Management Design/Build General Contracting Engineering Sheridan Construction www.sheridancorp.com Fairfield Portland 207-453-9311 207-774-6138 Med-Care Ambulance, Mexico W estern Maine is bordered by New Hampshire to the west and Canada's Province of Quebec on the north. A small part of the White Mountain National Forest is located in this area. This includes all of Oxford County and portions of Franklin, York and Cumberland counties. Notable towns include Bethel, Bridgton, Oxford, Rangeley and Rumford. Many of the state's highest peaks are located in the region. Western Maine has dozens of lakes, rivers and ponds that provide opportunities for watersports such as boating, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, waterskiing, whitewater rafting, as well as fi shing for trout and landlocked salmon. It's also the birthplace of public higher education in Maine, going back to the establishment of the Farmington State Normal School in 1864. Today, the University of Maine at Farmington remains the only four-year college in western Maine, after branching out from its teaching training roots into the liberal arts. S TA R T I N G O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » W Total retail sales per capita (2012): $10,636 Total employer establishments (2014): 1,286 Total employment (2014): 14,225 Total payroll: $473.9 million Number of firms: 5,295 Western Maine features The area is known for its many lakes and mountains with hundreds of groomed ski trails. Some peaks are more than 4,000 feet high. The economy in the area is largely based on tourism. The Mahoosuc Notch portion of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail that passes through the region is popularly considered by hikers to be the most difficult mile of the entire trail. Western Maine is also the site of several paper mills, including Skowhegan's Somerset Paper Mill, in which Sappi plans to invest $167 million, S O U R C E S : Travel Maine, Wikipedia, Mainebiz 1 Shawnee Peak, Bridgton 2 Sunday River, Bethel 3 Black Mountain, Rumford 4 Saddleback Mountain, Rangeley 5 Sugarloaf, Carrabassett Valley S K I A R E A S P O P U L A R L A K E S 1 Sebago 2 Rangeley 3 Flagstaff 4 Mooselookmeguntic PA P E R M I L L S 1 Verso's Androscoggin Mill in Jay 2 Catalyst Paper's Rumford Mill 3 Skowhegan's Somerset Paper Mill S O U R C E : Western Maine Economic Development Council, U.S. Census Oxford County thumbnail Oxford County, on the Maine-New Hampshire border, showed steady gains in population since 1980 before declining in 2015, according to the U.S. Census. Amenities include alpine and Nordic skiing, the Oxford Plains Speedway and the Oxford Casino. D E M O G R A P H I C S R E A L E S TAT E C O M M E R C E Population (2015): 57,202 (down 1.1% from 2010) Households (2011–15): 21,767 Mean travel time to work (workers 16+): 27.9 minutes Median household income (2011–15): $40,630 Persons in poverty: 17% Bachelor's degree or higher (persons age 25+): 18.1% Housing units (2015): 36,379 Housing units (2010): 36,055 Median value of owner-occupied housing units (2011–15): $135,500 Median selected monthly owner costs, with mortgage (2011–15): $1,107 Median gross rent (2011–15): $624 Building permits (2015): 147

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