State comparison
Arkansas vs Maine: which state is better to live in?
Arkansas costs a median household about $3,800 a year less in state and local taxes than Maine, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $1,170 a year against $3,744 in Maine.
Arkansas
Moderate tax burden · COL index 85
Wins 8 categories
Maine
High tax burden · COL index 107
Wins 7 categories
Taxes: Arkansas vs Maine
Arkansas has a graduated income tax topping out at 3.9%, which works out to 3.6% on a median income of $74,580, or $2,680 a year. Maine has a graduated income tax topping out at 7.15%, which works out to 6.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $4,813 a year. Arkansas wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.60% of home value a year in Arkansas and 1.04% in Maine (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $1,170 against $3,744, so Arkansas has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 9.46% in Arkansas and 5.50% in Maine; Maine is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $5,966 a year in Arkansas, $9,787 in Maine. Arkansas is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Arkansas's cost of living index is 85 and Maine's is 107, where 100 is the national average; Arkansas is about 26% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $195K in Arkansas and $360K in Maine (Zillow, 2024), a $165K gap in Arkansas's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $970 a month in Arkansas and $1,500 in Maine.
Home insurance averages $2,600 a year in Arkansas and $900 in Maine, so Maine is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 619 incidents per 100,000 residents in Arkansas and 109 in Maine (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Maine is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 468% lower. Property crime is 2,469 per 100,000 in Arkansas against 1,187 in Maine, again favoring Maine.
Health
Life expectancy is 73.8 years in Arkansas and 77.8 in Maine (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 4.0-year edge for Maine. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Arkansas's health system 44th of 50 and Maine's 7th, so Maine scores better on care.
9.4% of Arkansas residents have no health insurance against 6.9% in Maine, which favors Maine. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Arkansas's K-12 schools 42nd in the country and Maine's 14th, 28 places apart in Maine's favor. Both states run school-choice voucher programs.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Arkansas went to Trump by 28 points and Maine went to Harris by 6 points.
Arkansas has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Maine has permitless carry and a grade of B-, so Maine regulates guns more tightly and Arkansas is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Arkansas and protected by state law in Maine, and marijuana is medical only in Arkansas and legal for adults in Maine as of 2026. The minimum wage is $11.00 an hour in Arkansas and $14.15 in Maine.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in Arkansas (tornado, flood) and low in Maine (blizzard, flood), so Maine is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 35 in Arkansas and 26 in Maine (under 50 is good), favoring Maine.
Tax figures use a household earning the national median income and owning each state's median home, at tax year 2026 rates, last checked against state sources on 2026-09-14. The table below has every number.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
8
Arkansas
7
Maine
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Arkansas or Maine better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Arkansas on taxes ($5,966 a year for a median household against $9,787); Arkansas on everyday costs (index 85 against 107); Maine on safety (109 violent crimes per 100,000 against 619); Maine on schools (ranked 14th against 42nd).
Which is cheaper, Arkansas or Maine?
Arkansas is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 85 against 107. The median home is $195K in Arkansas and $360K in Maine (2024). On state and local taxes Arkansas saves a median household about $3,800 a year.
Does Arkansas or Maine have lower taxes?
Arkansas. A household earning $74,580 pays about $5,966 a year in Arkansas ($2,680 income tax, $1,170 property tax on the median home and $2,117 in sales tax) and $9,787 in Maine ($4,813 income tax, $3,744 property tax on the median home and $1,231 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Arkansas or Maine?
Maine, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 619 per 100,000 residents in Arkansas and 109 in Maine; property crime is 2,469 against 1,187.
Which has better schools, Arkansas or Maine?
Maine. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Arkansas 42nd of 50 for K-12 and Maine 14th.
Is Arkansas or Maine better for retirees?
Arkansas is friendlier to retirees on paper. Arkansas does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Maine does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $1,170 a year in Arkansas and $3,744 in Maine.