The Town FilesSidney, Maine
Town in Kennebec County · population 4,645 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $336,200
- Household income
- $83,488
- Jan low / Jul high
- 9° / 80°
- Snow a year
- 81 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 43.0
Sidney is a town of 4,645 people in Kennebec County, Maine. The median home is worth $336,200, above the typical Maine town ($238,950). It ranks better for families than 95% of Maine towns, more upscale than 77% of Maine towns, more of a college town than 72% of Maine towns.
How Sidney ranks
Percentile among Maine towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Maine towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Sidney is worth $336,200, above the typical Maine town ($238,950). Homes cost about 4.0 times the median household income of $83,488, which is more affordable than 32% of Maine towns. Median rent is $1,340 a month. 89.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sidney | Typical Maine town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $336,200 | $238,950 |
| Median rent | $1,340 | $1,027 |
| Median household income | $83,488 | $68,967 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.0× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 89.4% | 82.4% |
| Median year built | 1996 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 7.3% | — |
Who lives in Sidney
| People | Sidney | Typical Maine town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.0 | 46.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 18.4% | 22.9% |
| Under 18 | 23.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.5% | 28.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.4% | 10.7% |
| Veterans | 7.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.0% | — |
| Work from home | 14.3% | 12.3% |
| Average commute | 24.8 min | 25.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.8% | 90.0% |
Weather in Sidney
July highs average 80.1°F and January lows 8.8°F. About 43.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 81.3 inches of snow (typical Maine town: 77.2 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 164 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sidney since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Maine town. The strongest, an F1, struck on August 16, 1959 about 2.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 16, 1959.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 14 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on August 30, 2007.
Severe weather in Kennebec County since 1996
Kennebec County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, freezing, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 30, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4754: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| September 14, 2023 | Hurricane | EM-3598: Hurricane Lee |
| July 6, 2023 | Flood | DR-4719: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| April 4, 2020 | Biological | DR-4522: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3444: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Kennebec County
Kennebec County had 62,487 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,846 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Sidney itself the ACS puts it at 5.4%.
Public schools in Sidney
1 public school with 297 students, about 13.5 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| James H Bean School | PK-5 | 297 | 13.5 |
Towns near Sidney
- Vassalboro, ME5.3 mi · 4,520 people · home $244,300
- Belgrade, ME7.1 mi · 3,250 people · home $312,200
- Augusta, ME7.2 mi · 18,899 people · home $201,000
- Oakland, ME8.3 mi · 2,536 people · home $167,000
- Waterville, ME8.7 mi · 15,828 people · home $184,600
- Oakland, ME9.8 mi · 6,230 people · home $236,000
- Readfield, ME10.3 mi · 2,597 people · home $326,400
- Winslow, ME10.6 mi · 7,948 people · home $225,300
Sidney questions
Is Sidney, Maine a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sidney scores better for retirees than 43% of Maine towns and quieter than 37%. 18.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.0).
How much does a house cost in Sidney?
The median owner-occupied home in Sidney is valued at $336,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $83,488, so homes cost about 4.0 times income. Median rent is $1,340 a month.
What is the weather like in Sidney?
July highs average 80.1°F and January lows 8.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.4 inches of precipitation a year and 81.3 inches of snow.
Does Sidney get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sidney since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on August 16, 1959. The typical Maine town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)