Demographics

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Oakland is approximately twenty-six square miles in size and relatively irregular in shape. It lies at 44 32' North Latitude and 69 44' East Longitude. It is bordered by the City of Waterville on the east, and the towns of Fairfield on the north, Smithfield and Belgrade on the west, and Belgrade and Sidney on the south.

The topography of the Town is rolling, reflecting its location in the low-lying area east of the Central Highlands at the approximate termination of the Coastal Lowlands. The mean elevation of the Town is 300 feet above sea level. Geologically, the Town is part of the Kearsarge - Central Maine Synclinoriurn and has a bedrock of interbedded pelite and limestone and/or dolomite.

Land use is a traditional Maine mixture of central urban village and rural fringe, made up of farmland and seasonal lakefront dwellings. In more recent years, the rural fringe has seen some conversion of seasonal lakefront cottages to year-round use and the progressive construction of individual house lots and small commercial enterprises along roadway frontage.

Oakland lies within easy commuting distance to jobs and services in the Waterville and Augusta region. The completion of 1-95 in the 1960's increased Oakland's relationship with the Augusta area. In addition, the easy highway access to Augusta, Greater Portland, and Bangor makes commuting and shopping to those areas increasingly possible.

During the 1970's, the Town of Oakland experienced significant population growth resulting in a 46% addition to the Town's residential population. See Figure 2. During the 80's, the official State population estimates produced by the Department of Human Services show the Town continuing to grow, but at a significantly slower rate.

During this same period, the neighboring Town of Sidney experienced population growth at a somewhat higher rate while the Town of Smithfield experienced a somewhat lower rate. Winslow experienced significantly less growth in the 70's and showed a population decline in the 1980's. Waterville showed a decline throughout the period while the Augusta area experienced modest growth, both as a result of population loss in the older central cities.

The growth in the midcoast - 1-95 corridor is fueled by two significant trends. The first factor in the region's growth is a rapid increase in jobs in the Waterville and Augusta employment centers. As Figure 3 shows, the two labor market areas enveloping Oakland experienced a growth of 7,270 jobs. This growth in employment creates significant growth pressure within the region which may continue to impact Oakland in the coming decade.

The second trend is the growth in desirability of this area for retirement or preretirement homes. This trend is driven by the attractive natural and built environment of the area with its charming towns, the availability of a wide variety of commercial and cultural services, and its easy access to Portland, Bangor, and the coast. While the -impact of this trend has been felt primarily in coastal communities to date, rising real estate prices are driving some of this market inland in search of more affordable communities.

Oakland sits on the fringe of two growing metropolitan areas. While classified as part of the Waterville Labor Market Area, Oakland, in reality, functions more as an island between the Waterville and Augusta market areas. At this point, this factor is primarily for employment; however, if the new shopping mall is developed in the Augusta area, it will likely also be true for shopping. Given Oakland's historical role as a freestanding Town with an attractive physical and development environment, its growing interrelationship with both Waterville and Augusta marks a continued development of the community for homes. This trend is likely to continue in the foreseeable future.