Stacker Studio

Most socially connected counties in Maine

Written by:
November 7, 2024
Photo Illustration by Stacker // Canva

This story originally appeared on Spokeo and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

Most socially connected counties in Maine

In today's digital age, social media platforms enable people to bridge geographic distances and connect with their friends, family, and community, no matter where they are. According to a 2022 Gallup and Meta study, at least 1 in 3 people across seven countries, including the U.S., said they used social media to interact with others at least once a day in the past week.

While social media has its drawbacks—such as pulling attention away from other tasks or fostering a problematic comparison culture—it remains a vital tool for helping people stay connected.

A majority of students in grades 3 to 12 said social media helped them develop relationships, learn social skills, and make a positive impact in their community, according to a 2024 report from The Social Institute.

Spokeo compiled a ranking of the most socially connected counties in Maine using 2021 data from Facebook, based on a national analysis. County pairs were ranked by their social connectedness index, which measures the relative probability that two individuals across two locations are friends with each other on Facebook. The social connectedness index is a scaled value up to a billion. Larger indexes indicate a greater share of Facebook friends between county pairs.

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#7. Franklin County and Waldo County

- Franklin County population: 30,828
- Waldo County population: 40,620
- Social connectedness index: 281,468

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#6. Cumberland County and Sagadahoc County

- Cumberland County population: 310,230
- Sagadahoc County population: 37,513
- Social connectedness index: 898,749

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#5. Oxford County and Androscoggin County

- Oxford County population: 59,905
- Androscoggin County population: 113,765
- Social connectedness index: 1,393,799

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#4. Washington County and Hancock County

- Washington County population: 31,555
- Hancock County population: 56,526
- Social connectedness index: 1,629,587

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#3. Kennebec County and Somerset County

- Kennebec County population: 127,259
- Somerset County population: 51,302
- Social connectedness index: 1,795,441

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#2. Penobscot County and Piscataquis County

- Penobscot County population: 155,312
- Piscataquis County population: 17,486
- Social connectedness index: 1,917,424

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#1. Knox County and Lincoln County

- Knox County population: 40,977
- Lincoln County population: 36,507
- Social connectedness index: 2,823,852

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kayla Zhu, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.

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