Postal Codes

04256 ZIP Code

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ZIP code 04256 covers Mechanic Falls, Maine, with a population of about 3,108 and a median household income of $58,958.

Population
3,108283 per square mile
Median age
37.21.5 points below the US average
Median household income
$58,95818% below the Maine median
Poverty rate
10.8%1.6 points below the US average
Typical home value
$304,250up 35.7% in five years
Median rent
$1,1601.1× the Maine median
Degree or higher
15.4%19.6 points below the US average
Homeownership
70.3%5.3 points above the US average
Time zone
Eastern UTC-05:00observes daylight saving time
Businesses
60

Where 04256 is

Mechanic Falls, Maine — the area the Census Bureau draws for this ZIP code. ZIP codes are sets of delivery routes rather than areas, so this is the Census approximation of one, not a Postal Service boundary.

People and households

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Population3,108
Median age37.2
Family households68.2%
Born outside the US1.9%
Speaks a language other than English at home2.2%
White (non-Hispanic)78.4%
Black (non-Hispanic)3.9%
Asian (non-Hispanic)1.7%
Hispanic or Latino0%
Veterans10.1%
Population by age
MaleFemale0-45-910-1415-1920-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465-7475-8485+
Income and poverty

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Median household income$58,958
Income per person$24,277
Poverty rate10.8%
Households on SNAP or cash assistance11.2%

Household income distribution

Under $10k4.8%
$10–15k1.7%
$15–20k4.0%
$20–25k6.6%
$25–30k3.4%
$30–35k0.0%
$35–40k6.7%
$40–45k12.3%
$45–50k0.0%
$50–60k14.1%
$60–75k20.1%
$75–100k3.6%
$100–125k12.4%
$125–150k5.6%
$150–200k4.5%
$200k or more0.0%

Income as declared to the IRS

Filed returns rather than survey responses, so this counts tax units and not households.

Tax returns filed1,530
Mean adjusted gross income$58,586
Returns declaring $200,000 or more2%
Returns, under $25k25.5%
Returns, $25k–$50k29.4%
Returns, $50k–$75k17.6%
Returns, $75k–$100k11.8%
Returns, $100k–$200k13.7%
Returns, $200k or more2.0%
Housing

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Median home value$224,100
Median gross rent$1,160
Rent as a share of household income29%
Owner-occupied70.3%
Vacant homes4.4%
Median year built1981

What the homes are

Detached house64.5%
2 to 4 units22.8%
20 or more units1%
Mobile home11.7%
Home values and rents today

Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index, courtesy of Zillow. Monthly and current, where the Census figures above are a five-year average and are capped at $2,000,000.

Typical home value$304,250as of 2026-07
Typical home value, 1 yeardown 1.5%
Typical home value, 5 yearsup 35.7%
Typical home value, 10 yearsup 120.4%
Typical home value since 2000
200020132026$308,974$89,706

$89,706 in 2000 to $304,250 in 2026.

Work, commuting and education

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Unemployment rate8.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher15.4%
High school diploma or higher91.7%
Works from home1.2%
Drives to work alone82.6%
Takes public transport0%
Commutes 45 minutes or more25.4%
Health

CDC PLACES 2025 release, model-based estimates. These are modelled small-area estimates for adults, not counts of diagnosed cases.

Obesity36.5% 3.1 pts above the national average of 33.4%
Diagnosed diabetes12% same as the national average of 12%
Currently smokes17.9% 4.7 pts above the national average of 13.2%
High blood pressure33.2% 0.9 pts below the national average of 34.1%
Fair or poor general health20.7% same as the national average of 20.3%
No health insurance (18–64)9% 2.3 pts below the national average of 11.3%
Depression30.7% 8.8 pts above the national average of 21.9%
No leisure-time physical activity27.1% 1.7 pts above the national average of 25.4%
Arthritis32.2% 7.1 pts above the national average of 25.1%
Binge drinking15.3% 0.7 pts below the national average of 16%
Taking blood pressure medication73.9% 0.8 pts below the national average of 74.7%
Cancer (non-skin)8.5% 0.8 pts above the national average of 7.7%
Current asthma13.6% 3.2 pts above the national average of 10.4%
Coronary heart disease7.3% 1.1 pts above the national average of 6.2%
Routine check-up in past year79% 2.3 pts above the national average of 76.7%
Cholesterol screening85.2% 0.7 pts below the national average of 85.9%
Cognitive disability17.8% 3 pts above the national average of 14.8%
Colorectal screening67.5% 3.2 pts above the national average of 64.3%
COPD9.1% 2.5 pts above the national average of 6.6%
Visited a dentist60.1% 1.2 pts below the national average of 61.3%
Any disability34.5% 3.8 pts above the national average of 30.7%
Lacks emotional support24.7% same as the national average of 24.8%
Food insecurity13.9% 3.2 pts below the national average of 17.1%
Received food stamps18.7% 4.4 pts above the national average of 14.3%
Hearing disability8.2% 1.5 pts above the national average of 6.7%
High cholesterol37.5% 1.3 pts above the national average of 36.2%
Housing insecurity13% 0.8 pts below the national average of 13.8%
Independent living disability9.3% 0.9 pts above the national average of 8.4%
Lacks transport9.7% 0.5 pts above the national average of 9.2%
Loneliness34.1% same as the national average of 34.4%
Mammography use81.7% 5.8 pts above the national average of 75.9%
Poor mental health (14+ days)20.4% 3.6 pts above the national average of 16.8%
Mobility disability14.7% 0.7 pts above the national average of 14%
Poor physical health (14+ days)15.7% 2.2 pts above the national average of 13.5%
Self-care disability3.9% same as the national average of 4%
Utility shut-off threat9.9% 1.1 pts above the national average of 8.8%
Sleeps under 7 hours36.9% 0.5 pts above the national average of 36.4%
Stroke3.6% same as the national average of 3.4%
All natural teeth lost16.6% 3.6 pts above the national average of 13%
Vision disability4.9% 0.7 pts below the national average of 5.6%
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Business and employment

Census ZIP Code Business Patterns 2022

Business establishments60
People employed623
Annual payroll$25,478,000
Natural hazard risk

FEMA National Risk Index, estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data — the NRI is not published per ZIP.

Overall riskHigher than 32.5% of US census tracts
FEMA ratingRelatively Low
Expected annual loss28.4 out of 100
Community resilience77.6 out of 100

By hazard

Score is out of 100 and is the area-weighted average across the census tracts this ZIP code covers. The rating beside it is the highest any one of those tracts carries.

Winter weather98.6Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
Drought96Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Ice storm95Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Landslide86.6Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Hurricane83Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Lightning81.4Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Strong wind66.8Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Hail64Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Wildfire63.6Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Cold wave46Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Earthquake45.6Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
River flooding29.6Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Tornado26.4Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Heat wave17.5Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Compared with Maine and the United States

State and national columns are figures for those areas, not for this ZIP code. American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

This ZIPMaineUnited States
Median household income$58,958$71,773$78,538
Income per person$24,277$42,035$43,289
Poverty rate10.8%10.8%12.4%
Median home value$224,100$266,400$303,400
Median gross rent$1,160$1,084$1,348
Homeownership70.3%74%65%
Bachelor's degree or higher15.4%35.3%35%
Unemployment rate8.3%3.9%5.2%
Works from home1.2%14.1%13.5%
Born outside the US1.9%3.9%13.9%
Median age37.244.838.7
Climate

NOAA US Climate Normals 1991-2020, from the nearest weather station with a full year of records. The station and its distance are named above, because a station forty kilometres away describes somewhere else.

Weather stationPOLAND, ME US11.9 km away
Rain in a year49 in
Snow in a year80 in

Average high and low by month

January27.4°F / 10.6°F3.11 in rain, 18 in snow
February30.2°F / 12.4°F3 in rain, 20.5 in snow
March38.2°F / 20.5°F3.67 in rain, 14.8 in snow
April51.7°F / 31.7°F4.38 in rain, 4.2 in snow
May63.5°F / 43°F3.7 in rain, 0.1 in snow
June73.1°F / 52°F4.92 in rain
July78°F / 58.5°F4 in rain
August77.1°F / 56.6°F3.91 in rain
September68.9°F / 48.3°F3.96 in rain
October55.9°F / 37.5°F5.94 in rain, 1.4 in snow
November43.8°F / 28°F4.42 in rain, 3.8 in snow
December33.5°F / 18.3°F4.2 in rain, 17.3 in snow
Access to food

USDA Food Access Research Atlas, estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data. Each figure is the share of the ZIP code's land area that falls in a tract carrying that flag.

Low income and far from a supermarketNone of this ZIP code
Far from a supermarketNone of this ZIP code
No vehicle and far from a supermarketNone of this ZIP code
School districts

NCES Geographic Relationship File 2025, which states the association between each district and each ZIP code tabulation area directly. Elementary and secondary districts can cover the same ground, so shares need not total 100%.

Regional School Unit 16100% of this ZIP code's land area
Community and walkability

CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022 and the EPA National Walkability Index, both estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data. Vulnerability figures are national percentile ranks, not measurements.

Overall social vulnerability50more vulnerable than 50% of US census tracts
Socioeconomic status48more vulnerable than 48% of US census tracts
Household characteristics50more vulnerable than 50% of US census tracts
Racial and ethnic minority status20more vulnerable than 20% of US census tracts
Housing type and transport63more vulnerable than 63% of US census tracts
Walkability6.5 out of 20Below average
Nearby ZIP codes

The closest ZIP codes by centre point, which is not the same as sharing a border.

04258 Minot, ME5.6 km away
04288 West Minot, ME6.9 km away
04274 Poland, ME7.2 km away
04230 East Poland, ME7.5 km away
04291 West Poland, ME9.3 km away
04270 Oxford, ME9.4 km away
04238 Hebron, ME10.1 km away
04210 Auburn, ME12.3 km away
Location, counties and time zone

County shares from Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files. Time zone from the USDOT National Transportation Atlas, which renders the boundaries written into 49 CFR Part 71.

Androscoggin County100% of this ZIP code's land area
Time zoneEastern (UTC-05:00 standard)
Daylight saving timeObserved
Land area11 sq mi
Water area0.16 sq mi
Population density283 people per sq mi
Latitude, longitude44.1117, -70.3917

Figures are published for this ZIP code or its Census tabulation area unless a section says otherwise. Estimates whose margin of error made them unreliable are omitted rather than shown. Sources: US Census Bureau, CDC, IRS.

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