Mainers have a defensive obsession with 'people from away'. It has to do with the need to keep lives communities 'the way they are' without outside influence shaping their birthright location.

It's not easy 'being from away'. Even though I grew up in Maine, having no other memories other than living and breathing the Maine air, I, alas, was born in New Hampshire and can never wear the badge of 'a true Mainer'.

Statistics of 'People From Away'

Taking a look at the information provided by the City of Bangor recently, I am curious about where 'people from away' are actually from. Where I grew up in Waldo County, I see that I belong in one of these migration groups that moved from another Maine county to Penobscot County. This is actually a norm when it comes to who counts as 'people from away' in Penobscot County.

People from away are most likely from right here in the state. Of course, you wouldn't be a 'native' Mainer (no, we're not talking native American here), unless you knew the difference between a northern Mainer and a southern Mainer. A  northern Mainer is more conservative, usually leans more republican whereas a southern Mainer is considered more liberal. A traditional urban versus rural kind of deal.

'People From Away' Are Most Likely People From Other Parts of Maine

Looking at the results for Penobscot County, it is found that a majority of transplants came from right within the state itself. In fact, the top 9 places that 'outsiders' of Penobscot County are from are all other counties in the state of Maine.

Looking further into the data, we were able to see migration from as far away as Manhattan, the Bougie Bronx, and Providence as well as lower populated counties in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. When people take about 'people from away', these migrants are most likely who they speak of.

The Top 25 Places 'People From Away' Come From In Penobscot County

Here's a view of where those 'people from away' are actually from when it comes to people resettling in Penobscot County in the State of Maine.

Where are Penobscot County's 'People From Away' Actually From?

The 2020 census stated that these are 'the people from away' when looking at where people migrated from prior to calling Penobscot County, the county that Bangor sits in, home. And, according to the numbers, those 'from away' aren't from too far away, actually.

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