"We certainly recognize that we have an aging population," Town Manager Bruce Locke said. "We didn't need the census to tell us that."

Still, a Press Herald computer analysis of just-released census data demonstrates that Ogunquit has the oldest population of any Maine municipality. The statistics also offer insight into the wide age disparity between Maine communities and how a population's age helps shape the character of a town like Ogunquit.

Maine itself is an old state, demographically speaking, despite youthful communities like Orono where the University of Maine drives the typical age down to 22.3. According to data from the 2000 Census, the typical Mainer is about 38 years old, making Maine state with the oldest population in New England.

Maine has the lowest birthrate in the United States and, like the rest of the country, a large group of baby boomers that continues to age. These factors seem to guarantee that by the 2010 census more communities will look like Ogunquit than Orono.

In 2000, Ogunquit was the oldest community of at least 1,000 people in Maine, with a median age of 55.6 years. Median is a statistical term that means half the people counted are older than 55.6 years and half are younger.

The largest segment of Ogunquit's population are recent retirees. Twenty percent of the 1,226 full-time Ogunquit residents are between 65 and 74. The next largest group are those aged 45 to 54. Only 11.5 percent of Ogunquit residents are below the age of 19.

With a demographic picture like that, Locke says, the town remains very conscious of the needs of its elderly residents. A large population of senior citizens can affect everything from law enforcement to local television programming.

Many Ogunquit seniors are active in municipal politics. For example, Locke says, many senior citizens have been working to keep Ogunquit "a quaint little village," while still accommodating thousands of summer tourists.

"They tend to be the people that have been here the longest and they tend to be protective (of the town)," Locke said. "And it's good that they are."

Economically, Ogunquit's elderly population is partly responsible for the rising costs of housing in the town. Phil Clark, a member of the Board of Selectmen, says many seniors, including himself, built summer homes and then improved on them, driving up the housing values. They then moved into these homes full time after retirement, perhaps leaving only in the winter to go down South.

These higher property prices help drive up property taxes but are largely balanced by low education costs.

Currently, only about 60 children from Ogunquit attend local schools. That led to the drive to change Maine's school-funding formula. Other initiatives in the town reflect the enormous proportion of elderly people in the community.

There are continual projects to maintain the sidewalks and monitor handicapped accessibility for older residents.

The Senior Needs Committee of Wells and Ogunquit is working to raise money to build a new senior center for the area. Kathy Chase, president of the committee, said a "center point for (seniors) to interact" would be a great asset for both towns.

Police in Ogunquit have worked to get residents to cooperate with each other in checking up on their neighbors. They also keep tabs on those elderly who live alone, and those who may suffer from a condition such as Alzheimer's disease that may cause them to wander off.

Lt. Dave Johnson, who serves on the Ogunquit Wellness Coalition, says officers are trained to recognize infirmities such as Alzheimer's disease and "look a little further, especially when they pull over someone elderly."

In addition to serving its older residents, Ogunquit has found that having such a population can be both advantageous and educational for all local residents.

"We have a greater pool of people with different experiences who are are able to share and volunteer and contribute to the town," said Clark, the selectmen.

Many retired people have more time to volunteer and participate in municipal politics than younger people who may still be working and raising a family. Locke says the senior community is often tapped to try to fill in employment gaps at seasonal part-time jobs.

Seniors are also active volunteers at places such as the museums and playhouses in Ogunquit, and thus contribute to the maintenance of the arts, another facet of life that Ogunquit residents are proud to say adds to the overall diversity of their town.

As Ogunquit's elderly grow even older, Locke says the town will work to adapt to whatever its seniors need.

Rather than bring in a new influx of younger families, Clark says he thinks that another cycle of retirees will come to Ogunquit, ensuring its place in Maine as an elderly community, something that he does not see as negative at all.

"They're more active in government, very supportive of the town and spending the money necessary to keep Ogunquit, Ogunquit. They treasure the history of the town and will pay what it takes to maintain it. Maybe in another type of community, there wouldn't be that emphasis."

Julia McCue, library assistant, contributed research to this story.

Jen Fish can be contacted at 791-6329 or at: jfish@pressherald.com

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