State comparison
Maine vs Oregon: which state is better to live in?
Maine costs a median household about $360 a year less in state and local taxes than Oregon, mostly because its income tax takes 6.5% of a median income against 8.3% in Oregon.
Maine
High tax burden · COL index 107
Wins 9 categories
Oregon
Moderate tax burden · COL index 110
Wins 5 categories
Taxes: Maine vs Oregon
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. Oregon has a graduated income tax topping out at 9.9%, which works out to 8.3% on a median income of $74,580, or $6,207 a year. Maine wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.04% of home value a year in Maine and 0.82% in Oregon (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,744 against $3,936, so Oregon has the lower rate.
Oregon has no sales tax; combined state and local sales tax averages 5.50% in Maine.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $9,787 a year in Maine, $10,143 in Oregon. Maine is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Maine's cost of living index is 107 and Oregon's is 110, where 100 is the national average; Maine is about 3% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $360K in Maine and $480K in Oregon (Zillow, 2024), a $120K gap in Maine's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,500 a month in Maine and $1,700 in Oregon.
Home insurance averages $900 a year in Maine and $800 in Oregon, so Oregon is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 109 incidents per 100,000 residents in Maine and 302 in Oregon (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Maine is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 177% lower. Property crime is 1,187 per 100,000 in Maine against 3,078 in Oregon, again favoring Maine.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.8 years in Maine and 78 in Oregon (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.2-year edge for Oregon. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Maine's health system 7th of 50 and Oregon's 14th, so Maine scores better on care.
6.9% of Maine residents have no health insurance against 7.1% in Oregon, which favors Maine. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Maine's K-12 schools 14th in the country and Oregon's 21st, 7 places apart in Maine's favor. Maine runs a school-choice voucher program; Oregon does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Maine went to Harris by 6 points and Oregon went to Harris by 14 points.
Maine has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of B-; Oregon has may-issue carry permits and a grade of A-, so Oregon regulates guns more tightly and Maine is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $14.15 an hour in Maine and $14.70 in Oregon.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is low in Maine (blizzard, flood) and high in Oregon (wildfire, earthquake, flood), so Maine is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 26 in Maine and 50 in Oregon (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
9
Maine
5
Oregon
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Maine or Oregon better to live in?
Maine wins more of the measures that decide a move. Maine on taxes ($9,787 a year for a median household against $10,143); Maine on everyday costs (index 107 against 110); Maine on safety (109 violent crimes per 100,000 against 302); Maine on schools (ranked 14th against 21st).
Which is cheaper, Maine or Oregon?
Maine is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 107 against 110. The median home is $360K in Maine and $480K in Oregon (2024). On state and local taxes Maine saves a median household about $360 a year.
Does Maine or Oregon have lower taxes?
Maine. A household earning $74,580 pays about $9,787 a year in Maine ($4,813 income tax, $3,744 property tax on the median home and $1,231 in sales tax) and $10,143 in Oregon ($6,207 income tax, $3,936 property tax on the median home and $0 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Maine or Oregon?
Maine, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 109 per 100,000 residents in Maine and 302 in Oregon; property crime is 1,187 against 3,078.
Which has better schools, Maine or Oregon?
Maine. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Maine 14th of 50 for K-12 and Oregon 21st. Maine also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Maine or Oregon better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Maine does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has an estate tax; Oregon does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,744 a year in Maine and $3,936 in Oregon.