2026 editionNortheastPop. 1,414,874Capital Augusta23rd state, admitted 1820Cook PVI D+5
Is Maine a Good Place to Live? Maine Rankings, Cost of Living, Crime & Taxes
Maine ranks #9 of 50 with a composite score of 71.6 and an A grade, strongest in safety (#1) and weakest in education (#36). The median household earns $76,442 (6% below the national median), homes typically cost $415,552 (13% above the national average), and violent crime is 93 per 100,000 (72% below the national average).
Households that value quiet and low crime over a big paycheck get both here: violent crime runs 93 per hundred thousand, the lowest of any state, against 328 nationally. The bill arrives in winter, when electricity at 27.78 cents per kWh and oil deliveries push a family's costs past what a median income of $76,442 comfortably carries.
Maine by the numbers
Six measures every state is judged on, each with Maine's rank of 50 and the national figure beside it.
Sources, latest releases: Census Bureau ACS (income), Zillow Research (home value), BEA Regional Price Parities (cost index), FBI state crime estimates (crime), BLS LAUS (unemployment), WalletHub tax burden study (taxes). Rank 1 is the best value in each measure: highest income, lowest cost, lowest crime.
Read the Maine overview
Maine scores above the national average in 8 of 11 categories and ranks #3 of 11 states in the Northeast, behind 2 regional neighbors. Its biggest edge over the country is violent crime rate (93, 72% below the national average); its biggest shortfall is total tax burden (10.64%, 1.9 points above the national average). With 4 top-10 finishes and no bottom-10 category, its weaknesses are relative, not absolute.
Where does Maine rank in each category?
All 11 categories that make up the composite, heaviest weight first. Maine is top 10 in 4 and bottom 10 in 0.
| Category | Score | Rank | Grade | Weight | US avg | The numbers behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 51.1 | #18 of 50 | B+ | 15% | 47.1 | Its unemployment rate is 3.4% and median household income is $76,442. |
| Safety | 94.5 | #1 of 50 | A+ | 12% | 68.9 | The FBI estimates 93.2 violent crimes and 939.1 property crimes per 100,000 residents. |
| Health | 57.6 | #26 of 50 | B | 12% | 54.4 | Life expectancy is 76.6 years, 33.2% of adults have obesity, and 5.5% of residents are uninsured. |
| Education | 51.8 | #36 of 50 | C | 12% | 57.5 | Eighth graders average 273 in NAEP math and 255 in reading, and the high school graduation rate is 86.1%. |
| Affordability | 56.9 | #36 of 50 | C | 10% | 65.2 | Typical home value $415,552 (5.4x median income); cost of living index 97.1 (100 = US); center-based infant care $16,144 a year. |
| Fiscal Health | 57.0 | #29 of 50 | C+ | 8% | 58.1 | It carries $2,870 of debt per resident, has 79% of pensions funded, and holds a AA credit rating. |
| Growth | 49.2 | #14 of 50 | B+ | 7% | 38.8 | Population grew 0.46% last year; Census net domestic migration is +5.2 per 1,000 residents (the Moving section below uses IRS household counts, a different series). |
| Transportation | 51.1 | #26 of 50 | B | 7% | 49.8 | The average commute is 25.6 minutes, 0.6% of workers use public transit, and 14.7% work from home. |
| Livability | 55.0 | #2 of 50 | A+ | 7% | 34.3 | It has 2.138 restaurants and 0.027 arts venues per 1,000 residents, plus 0.102 bars and 0.157 social associations per 1,000. |
| Outdoor Access | 45.0 | #8 of 50 | A | 6% | 29.4 | 5.8% of its land is public, with 9.53 recreation facilities per 10,000 residents. |
| Environment | 77.1 | #1 of 50 | A+ | 4% | 42.5 | Its median air quality index is 34, 78% of its electricity is renewable, and its FEMA disaster risk score is 12.7. |
Weight, US average and the evidence sentence for each category are shown on wider screens.
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. US avg is the mean score of the 50 states. Click a category for its 50-state ranking.
Category shape
Maine's 11 category scores. A balanced state fills the wheel evenly; Maine bulges toward safety and dips at education.
How expensive is Maine?
Maine's cost of living index is 97.1 against a national baseline of 100, 3% below the national average and #26 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The typical home is worth $415,552 (13% above the national average); buying it takes an income of about $98,297, $21,855 more than the median household earns. Inside the state the spread is wide: among tracked cities, Augusta is cheapest (index 91.6) and Bath priciest (101.9).
Housing market snapshot · August
Warm marketRanked #18 of 50 most expensive by typical value and #34 on price relative to income (1 = most affordable). The median household is $21,855 short of the income needed to buy the typical home.
Full Maine housing market: 26-year chart, rent vs. buy, cities →What a household keeps at $75,000
| Household | Maine | Median state | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family of fourTwo adults, two kids, one in daycare | −$20,270 | −$11,758 | #30 of 50 |
| Single adultOne-bedroom rent, no childcare | +$27,266 | +$31,418 | #35 of 50 |
| Retiree coupleOwn the home, no payroll tax | +$31,893 | +$35,970 | #33 of 50 |
Take-home pay minus housing, childcare, utilities, groceries and transport for a $75,000 household, from the affordability engine. Positive = money left over; negative = costs exceed take-home. Rank 1 = most left over.
What are taxes like in Maine?
Maine's tax mix is high income tax, low sales tax, with property tax in the middle of the pack. The total state and local tax burden comes to 10.64% of income, 1.9 points above the national average (#46 of 50, 1 = lightest). Property tax is 1.17% of home value (#35), and combined sales tax averages 5.5% (#7).
Tax Foundation (rates) and WalletHub tax burden study (burden as a share of income), latest releases. Rank 1 = lowest. Income tax is the top marginal rate including typical local taxes where they apply.
Can the state pay its bills?
Fiscal health scores 57 out of 100, #29 of 50. Pew Fiscal 50, Census state finances and the rating agencies, latest releases.
Is Maine safe?
Maine reports 93 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 72% below the national average and #1 of 50 (1 = safest). Property crime runs 939 per 100,000, 39% below the national average (#4 of 50). The safety score is 94.5 out of 100, #1 of 50; among tracked cities, Old Town has the lowest violent crime rate.
Maine vs. the United States, per 100,000 residents
FBI state crime estimates, latest release. US is the mean of the 50 states; blue = below it, terracotta = above it. Florida and North Dakota use the FBI's prior-year estimate because their latest year is based on limited data.
Safest tracked cities in Maine
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Property / 100K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town | 7,470 | 0 | 1,049 |
| Brewer | 9,652 | 31 | 1,726 |
| Saco | 20,819 | 33 | 1,018 |
| Brunswick | 17,652 | 48 | 643 |
| South Portland | 26,930 | 55 | 1,085 |
Lowest violent crime among the 20 Maine cities we track. City rates come from each city's police agency and are not strictly comparable across agencies.
What is the job market like in Maine?
Maine's unemployment rate is 3.4%, 0.6 points below the national average and #11 of 50 (1 = lowest), and the median household earns $76,442, 6% below the national median. Real GDP grew +1.7% in the latest year (#31 of 50) and GDP per capita is $54,630, 15% below the national average. The population is growing 0.46% a year, in line with the national average. The economy score is 51.1 out of 100, #18 of 50.
Census Bureau ACS (income), BLS LAUS (unemployment), BEA (GDP), Census population estimates (growth), latest releases.
Highest-paying tracked occupations in Maine, adjusted for cost of living
| Occupation | Cost-adjusted | Median wage | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $210,939 | $204,611 | Portland-South Portland |
| Lawyers | $132,928 | $128,940 | Portland-South Portland |
| Software Developers | $127,747 | $123,915 | Portland-South Portland |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $96,400 | $93,508 | Portland-South Portland |
| General & Operations Managers | $95,859 | $92,983 | Portland-South Portland |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, latest release, for the 20 occupations we track. Cost-adjusted wage divides the metro median by its cost of living index.
How are Maine's schools and healthcare?
Maine's education score is 51.8 out of 100, #36 of 50. Eighth graders average 273 in NAEP math (#26 of 50) and 255 in reading (#34 of 50), and the high school graduation rate is 86.1%, 0.5 points above the national average (#28 of 50).
Maine is #26 of 50 for health, with a life expectancy of 76.6 years, 0.3 years below the national average. 33.2% of adults have obesity (#20 of 50) and 5.5% of residents have no health insurance (#12 of 50). The health score is 57.6 out of 100, weighted 12% of the composite.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (state life tables), CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (obesity), and Census Bureau American Community Survey (health insurance), latest releases.
Who is moving to Maine, and who is leaving?
Maine gained a net 3,671 households from other states in the latest IRS release: 20,295 moved in and 16,624 moved out, +2.6 per 1,000 residents (#8 of 50). Arriving households report an average income of $85,446 against $74,103 for those leaving. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which counts people rather than households, shows a net +8.6K people (35.3K in, 26.7K out, ±6.2K), consistent with the IRS direction.
Where they come from
- 1Massachusetts3,330 · $113,531
- 2New Hampshire2,595 · $74,021
- 3Florida2,029 · $71,173
- 4New York1,375 · $92,802
- 5California937 · $96,525
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households arrived from these states in the latest IRS release.
Where they go
- 1Massachusetts2,229 · $77,751
- 2Florida2,185 · $105,109
- 3New Hampshire1,972 · $65,675
- 4New York963 · $79,734
- 5North Carolina716 · $70,207
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households left for these states in the latest IRS release.
Where should you live in Maine?
By composite score, the best of the 20 Maine cities we track are South Portland (69.1), Brunswick (68.8), and Westbrook (68.1). Augusta is the cheapest (cost index 91.6), Saco the richest ($92,241), and Old Town the fastest growing (+1% a year). City ranks are among the 20 Maine cities we cover, not every city in the state.
Standout cities in Maine
| Best for | City | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Safest | Old Town | 0 violent crimes per 100K |
| Cheapest | Augusta | cost of living index 91.6 |
| Most walkable | Portland | walkability 14.7 of 20 |
| Cleanest air | Presque Isle | median AQI 32 (county) |
| Best schools | Saco | 92% graduation rate |
| Richest | Saco | $92,241 |
Among the 20 Maine cities we track. Safest uses a full year of FBI reports from the city's own police agency; air quality is measured by county, so cities in the same county share a reading.
Regions of Maine
The expensive third of the state: Portland's food and office jobs, beach towns that fill in summer, and the shortest drive to Boston. Most newcomers land here.
Bath's shipyard and Brunswick's college town give way to fishing villages and Acadia traffic. Second homes set prices; year-round rentals are scarce and winters are quiet.
Former mill cities with the lowest costs south of Bangor, a state government payroll in Augusta, and colleges in Waterville. Cheaper homes, older housing stock, fewer high-wage jobs.
Bangor is the hospital and shopping hub for half the state's land area. Orono adds the university. Beyond it, paper towns and timber country with long drives and hard winters.
Potato and forestry country along the Canadian border, the cheapest homes in the state, and a population that is still shrinking. Self-reliance is a requirement, not a slogan.
All 20 tracked cities, best to worst
| # | City | Grade | Score | Population | Income | Violent / 100K | Cost index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Portland | A+ | 69.1 | 26,930 | $86,838 | 55 | 101.9 |
| 2 | Brunswick | A+ | 68.8 | 17,652 | $70,722 | 48 | 101.9 |
| 3 | Westbrook | A+ | 68.1 | 20,775 | $85,038 | 153 | 101.9 |
| 4 | Portland | A+ | 67.1 | 68,854 | $79,540 | 245 | 101.9 |
| 5 | Saco | A | 65.8 | 20,819 | $92,241 | 33 | 101.9 |
| 6 | Bath | A | 64.5 | 8,815 | $69,390 | 57 | 101.9 |
| 7 | Old Orchard Beach | B+ | 62.2 | 9,244 | $60,050 | 157 | 101.9 |
| 8 | Ellsworth | B+ | 61.5 | 8,657 | $77,375 | 67 | 91.6 |
| 9 | Biddeford | B+ | 59.1 | 22,498 | $72,333 | 264 | 101.9 |
| 10 | Old Town | B | 58.5 | 7,470 | $51,585 | 0 | 96.5 |
| 11 | Sanford | B | 57.8 | 22,247 | $72,524 | 190 | 101.9 |
| 12 | Waterville | B | 57.8 | 17,077 | $53,580 | 91 | 91.6 |
| 13 | Orono | B | 57.7 | 11,151 | $59,784 | — | 96.5 |
| 14 | Brewer | B | 57.7 | 9,652 | $66,613 | 31 | 96.5 |
| 15 | Auburn | B | 56.9 | 24,602 | $66,647 | 232 | 94.7 |
| 16 | Caribou | B | 56.5 | 7,382 | $53,709 | 82 | 91.6 |
| 17 | Bangor | C+ | 55.0 | 31,938 | $59,942 | 242 | 96.5 |
| 18 | Presque Isle | C+ | 54.8 | 8,736 | $55,768 | 229 | 91.6 |
| 19 | Augusta | C+ | 54.7 | 19,077 | $47,979 | 218 | 91.6 |
| 20 | Lewiston | C+ | 54.2 | 38,324 | $55,393 | 240 | 94.7 |
Swipe the table sideways for more columns. Rank is among the 20 Maine cities we track: every city of 50,000 or more, plus the state's other largest places. City scores use city-level Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, EPA and NCES data, and a category with no city data is left out of the score rather than filled with the state's figure.
Best cities in Maine for…
| # | City | Score | Education | Safety | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brunswick | 72.3 | 78.0 | 99.0 | 63.6 |
| 2 | South Portland | 71.5 | 76.8 | 95.4 | 56.1 |
| 3 | Westbrook | 71.5 | 80.7 | 87.9 | 63.6 |
| 4 | Portland | 69.3 | 79.5 | 77.3 | 56.8 |
| 5 | Bath | 68.4 | 75.0 | 96.6 | 70.8 |
Who is Maine best for?
The same 11 category scores, re-weighted for six kinds of household. Rank is among the 50 states; click through for the best Maine cities for each.
Weights differ by household: families lean on education, safety and housing; retirees on fiscal health, healthcare and cost. See the weights →
How does Maine compare with its neighbors?
Maine ranks #9; its only neighbor, New Hampshire, ranks #1.. Bordering states are listed best to worst; the national line is the mean of the 50 states.
| State | Overall | Score | Median income | Typical home | Cost index | Violent crime | Tax burden | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | #9 | 71.6 | $76,442 | $415,552 | 97.1 | 93 | 10.64% | |
| New Hampshire | #1 | 83.4 | $99,782 | $516,306 | 104.2 | 118 | 5.94% | Compare → |
| United States | — | 57.9 | $80,903 | $368,697 | 100 | 328 | 8.74% |
Overall rank, median income, cost index and tax burden columns are shown on wider screens.
How the score works
Eleven categories, each scored 0–100 and weighted into one composite. Grades follow rank.
The weights
Economy 15% · Safety 12% · Health 12% · Education 12% · Affordability 10% · Fiscal Health 8% · Growth 7% · Transportation 7% · Livability 7% · Outdoor Access 6% · Environment 4%. The composite is the weighted sum, stretched linearly so states spread across most of the 0–100 range.
From raw numbers to scores
Every raw measure is placed on a 0–100 scale between a fixed floor and ceiling, inverted where lower is better (crime, cost, taxes), then combined within its category. The same scale applies to every state.
Letter grades
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. A C+ state is not failing; it is in the middle third.
Cities, budgets and neighbors
The 20 Maine city scores, the household budgets and the neighbor table on this page are computed from the same sources as the state score. City ranks are among the cities we track, not all cities in the state.
Editor's notes
Passages marked as editor's notes are written for this state and add context the numbers cannot: regions, tradeoffs, who the state fits. Every figure inside them is pulled from the data at build time, so the words cannot drift from the numbers.
Always the latest release
Each source is the most recent release its agency has published. The page is rebuilt when a source updates, so the score can move without any change in the state itself.
What the score cannot tell you
Weather and climate, culture and pace, politics beyond the Cook index shown for context, the quality of a specific school, hospital or neighborhood, job prospects in your field, and anything without a public, comparable, 50-state source. Statewide averages also hide the metro-versus-rural split, which is why the editor's notes name places.
Category briefs
Economy: Unemployment rate and median household income. Safety: Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. Health: Health outcomes, behaviors, and access to care. Education: K-12 school quality, test scores, and graduation rates. Full methodology →
Key takeaways
What the Maine numbers say when read together.
Safety is Maine's strongest suit
Maine is a #9 state overall but #1 of 50 for safety, 8 places better than its composite rank, with a score of 94.5 against a national average of 68.9. Environment (#1) is next. Safety carries 12% of the composite.
Education is where Maine falls furthest behind
Maine ranks #36 of 50 for education, 27 places below its overall #9, with a score of 51.8 against a national average of 57.5. At 12% of the composite, it is the category holding the overall score down most.
Violent crime rate is 72% below the national average
Maine's violent crime rate is 93, 72% below the national average of 328, #1 of 50 (1 = safest). The largest gap in the other direction is total tax burden: 10.64%, 1.9 points above the national average. Source: FBI estimates, latest release.
More households arrive than leave
Maine ranks #8 of 50 on net household flow per 1,000 residents (+2.6). The households arriving report $11,343 more in average income than those leaving ($85,446 against $74,103), so the state is trading up on income even as the headcount grows. Massachusetts is both the largest source and the largest destination.
A middle income is squeezed harder here than in most states
A family of four earning $75,000 ends the year at a $20,270 shortfall after housing, childcare, utilities, groceries, transport and taxes, against a $11,758 shortfall in the median state (#30 of 50). A single adult on the same income comes out at a $27,266 surplus; a retiree couple at a $31,893 surplus. Infant childcare runs $16,144 a year, 3% above the national average.
Every bordering state outranks Maine
All 1 of Maine's bordering states rank above its #9; the closest match on the composite is New Hampshire. New Hampshire's median household earns $99,782 against $76,442 in Maine, with a cost of living index of 104.2 against 97.1 and 118 violent crimes per 100,000 against 93.
Frequently asked questions about living in Maine
Is Maine a good place to live?
Maine ranks #9 of 50 with an A grade, #3 of 11 in the Northeast. It is top 10 in safety, environment, livability, and outdoor access. On the six headline measures it beats the national figure on 3 of 6 (cost of living, violent crime, and unemployment) and trails on income, home prices, and tax burden. Whether that adds up to a good place to live depends on what you weigh; the household rankings below re-weight the same numbers for families, retirees and remote workers.
Where does Maine rank among US states?
Maine ranks #9 of 50 overall with a composite score of 71.6 (grade A), and #3 of 11 states in the Northeast. Its best category rank is #1 (safety) and its worst #36 (education). The composite weights eleven categories, with economy, safety, health and education counting most; grades follow rank, so A means rank 6–10.
Is it expensive to live in Maine?
At #26 of 50 for cost of living (1 = cheapest), Maine is 3% below the national average: its index is 97.1 against a national baseline of 100. The typical home value is $415,552 (13% above the national average), and buying it takes an income of about $98,297 against a median household income of $76,442. At $75,000, a family of four comes out at a $20,270 shortfall after all costs, #30 of 50 (1 = most left over).
Does Maine have a state income tax?
Yes. Maine's top state income tax rate is 7.15% (#39 of 50, 1 = lowest), and the total state and local tax burden is 10.64% of income, 1.9 points above the national average. Property tax is 1.17% of home value and combined sales tax 5.5%.
What is the crime rate in Maine?
Maine reports 93 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 72% below the national average and #1 of 50 (1 = safest), and 939 property crimes per 100,000, 39% below the national average (#4). Its safety score is 94.5 out of 100, #1 of 50. Figures are FBI estimates from the latest release.
Does Maine have good schools?
Maine is #36 of 50 for education (score 51.8 out of 100). Its public school students average 273 in eighth-grade math on NAEP (#26) and 255 in eighth-grade reading (#34), and the high school graduation rate is 86.1%, 0.5 points above the national average (#28). Among tracked cities with at least three schools, Saco has the highest graduation rate at 92%.
Why are people moving to Maine?
Maine gained a net 3,671 households in the latest IRS release: 20,295 moved in and 16,624 moved out, +2.6 per 1,000 residents (#8 of 50). The largest source of arrivals is Massachusetts (3,330 households) and the most common destination is Massachusetts (2,229). Arriving households report an average income of $85,446 against $74,103 for those leaving, so movers in earn more than movers out. The IRS files count tax returns and say nothing about motives.
Is Maine a red or blue state?
Maine leans blue: its Cook Partisan Voting Index is D+5, meaning it votes about 5 points more Democratic than the country as a whole. The political lean is shown for context and is not part of the composite score.
What are the downsides of living in Maine?
Heating and distance. Electricity costs 27.78 cents per kWh, most homes burn oil, and winter runs October through April, so utilities are the bill nobody budgets correctly. The professional job market is confined to Portland, GDP per capita is 15% below the national average, and broadband reaches 92.4% of households. Income and property taxes produce a burden of 10.64%. Everything north of Augusta adds long drives to hospitals and airports.
Is Maine a good place to retire?
Yes, on the numbers: #9 of 50 for retirees, violent crime 72% below the national average, and just 5.5% of residents uninsured. The state leaves Social Security alone and the sales tax is 5.5%. The conditions: tolerate winter and live within an hour of Portland, Lewiston or Bangor for medical care. A retiree couple on $75,000 comes out at a $31,893 surplus, $4,077 below the national median, mostly because of heating and housing.
Is Maine good for remote workers?
Depends on the address. Maine ranks #6 of 50 for remote workers and 14.7% of its workforce already works from home, but its broadband subscription rate of 92.4% is #31 in the country, and the gaps are rural. Inside Greater Portland, the midcoast and Bangor, service is fine. On a back road in Washington or Piscataquis County, check the provider before the closing, not after.
What is the weather like in Maine year-round?
Cold longer than newcomers expect. The coast gets ocean-moderated winters with rain mixed into the snow; Bangor and Aroostook get deep, dry cold and snow that lasts until April. Mud season follows. Summers are short, mild and the reason people come, the coast cooler than inland. FEMA's disaster risk index sits at 12.7, 57% below the national average, so the hazard here is the season itself, not storms.
Is Maine cheaper than New Hampshire?
On housing, yes; on taxes, no. Maine's typical home is cheaper than New Hampshire's and its cost of living index of 97.1 is 3% below the national average. But New Hampshire has no sales tax and no tax on wages, while Maine's total burden of 10.64% ranks #46 of 50. A wage earner usually comes out ahead across the Piscataqua; a first-time buyer usually comes out ahead in Maine.
All the numbers
Every metric behind Maine's 11 category scores, with the national figure beside each. Pick a category.