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Maine

D+6  ·  High tax burden  ·  COL index 107

C+

7.15%

Income Tax

109

Violent Crime / 100K

77.8

Life Expectancy

$360K

Median Home

$1,350

Childcare / Mo

State Profile

75/100
255075100TAXES53SAFETY99HEALTH88SCHOOLS73AFFORDABLE72LONGEVITY65

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Taxes

Income Tax

7.15% top

Property Tax

~$3,744/yr on median home

1.04% / yr

Sales Tax

5.5% avg

Social Security

Exempt

Pension / IRA

SS exempt; up to $10K pension deduction

Partial

Estate Tax

Yes — $6.8M exemption

Inheritance Tax

None

Capital Gains

Taxed as income

Housing & Cost of Living

Cost of Living Index

National avg = 100

107

Median Home Price

$360,000

Median Rent (2BR)

$1,500/mo

Home Insurance

Below national avg (~$1,900/yr)

$900/yr

Flood Insurance

$600/yr

Homestead Exemption

Home equity protected from creditors

$47,500

Asset Protection

Moderate

Crime & Safety

Violent Crime Rate

Well below national avg (~380)

109 / 100K

Property Crime Rate

Below national avg (~2,100)

1,187 / 100K

Traffic Fatality Rate

11.2 / 100K

Healthcare

State Healthcare Rank

Top tier

#7 of 50

Life Expectancy

77.8 yrs

Medicaid Expansion

Expanded

Uninsured Rate

6.9%

Education

K-12 Quality Rank

#14 of 50

School Choice / Vouchers

Available

Childcare

Avg Infant Care (Full-Time)

$1,350/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

Avg Monthly Energy Bill

$175/mo

Avg Monthly Groceries

2-person household, moderate spending

$560/mo

Road Quality Rank

#24 of 50

Airports & Travel

Nonstop Destinations

From state's primary airport

35+ routes

Major Hub Airport

Regional airport — connections via hub

No

Culture & Lifestyle

Urban Population

Mostly rural

38% urban

Restaurant Density

440/100K

Religious Congregations

165/100K

Pro Sports Teams

NFL + NBA + MLB + NHL + MLS

None

Major Venues

Stadiums, arenas, amphitheaters (10K+ capacity)

2 venues

Craft Breweries

7.3/100K residents — Top tier

100 breweries

Craft Distilleries

35 distilleries

Live Music

Portland craft beer destination; Allagash, Maine Beer Company; 7.3 breweries per 100K (top 5 nationally)

Decent

Transportation

Car Insurance (Avg Annual)

Below national avg

$980

Traffic Fatality Rate

11.2 / 100K

Broadband Access

84% of households

Social & Legal

Abortion Access

Legal to viability; strong state protections

Protected

LGBTQ+ Protections

Comprehensive

Marijuana

Recreational

Minimum Wage

$14.15/hr

Right to Work

No

Sports Betting

Legal

Casino Gambling

Commercial casinos

Online Gambling

Illegal

State Lottery

2 commercial casinos. Sports betting launched 2022.

Yes

Age of Consent

16

Sex Education

Sex ed required by state

Comprehensive

Medically Accurate Required

Yes

Nude Beaches & Naturist Clubs

Maine Naturists — organized beach trips · remote lake swimming

One club

Environment & Climate

Air Quality (Annual AQI)

Excellent (national avg ~38)

26

Natural Disaster Risk

Low

Primary Hazards

blizzardflood

Politics & Gun Laws

2024 Presidential Vote

D+6

Gun Laws

Gun ControlB-
2A LibertyC+

Carry Permit

No permit required

Purchase Permit Required

No

Gambling

Legal

Jobs & Economy

Job Market

+1% job growth · 3% unemployment

Moderate

Top Industries

HealthcareTourismFishing

Tech Jobs

#43 of 50

Healthcare Jobs

#6 of 50

Remote Work

18% of workers

Median Household Income

$73,445

Business Climate

Corporate Income Tax

High corporate rate — plan entity structure carefully

8.93%

LLC Formation Fee

$175 one-time

LLC Annual Fee

$85/yr

Business Climate Rank

#28 of 50

Daily Life

Gas Price (Regular)

Near avg (+0.02 vs national avg)

$3.32/gal

Consumer Fireworks

Consumer fireworks legal; some town restrictions

Legal

Weather & Natural Risks

Winter Severity

Avg January high: 27°F

Harsh

Summer Heat

Moderate summers

79°F avg July

Annual Rainfall

44" / yr

Tornado Risk

Very Low

Hurricane Risk

Low

Wildfire Risk

Low

Flood Risk

Low

Natural Hazards

21LOW danger
Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE)Moose collision risk on highwaysBlizzard wintersLyme disease zone

Venomous Snakes

Minimal

Spider Hazard

Minimal

Hurricane Risk

Moderate

Tornado Risk

Minimal

Wildfire Risk

Low

Earthquake Risk

Low

Danger score is a composite index. Methodology ↗

Veteran Benefits

Veteran-Friendly Score

8.1% of state population are veterans

77/100

Property Tax Exemption

Veteran property tax exemption

Partial

Military Retirement Pay

Tax Exempt

Active Duty Pay

Tax Exempt

VA Facilities Access

Adequate

Notable Benefits

Military retirement fully exempt

Explore Maine counties

Income, housing, poverty, healthcare — ranked by county

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Compare Similar States

ME vs CO

Maine vs Colorado

COL 107 vs 110 · 7.15% vs 4.4% income tax

Full comparison →

ME vs OR

Maine vs Oregon

COL 107 vs 110 · 7.15% vs 9.9% income tax

Full comparison →

ME vs VT

Maine vs Vermont

COL 107 vs 111 · 7.15% vs 8.75% income tax

Full comparison →

ME vs DE

Maine vs Delaware

COL 107 vs 102 · 7.15% vs 6.6% income tax

Full comparison →

Trending in Maine

Maine primary election results 2026 live updates - The Washington Post

The Washington Post · Jun 10

Extremely close Maine Democratic governor primary likely headed to ranked-choice runoff - Portland Press Herald - Maine Sunday Telegram

Portland Press Herald - Maine Sunday Telegram · Jun 10

Maine governor's race primary results | Live map - WTHR

WTHR · Jun 9

Platner seeks the Democratic Senate nomination to set up critical Maine race with Collins - PBS

PBS · Jun 9

Maine 2026 Primary Election Results - WGME

WGME · Jun 10

What Residents Say

Considering a move to Maine and have a few questions

We have one of the highest tax burdens in the country. I paid $28K combined in ME income taxes last year, nothing in return. ME also limits ......

reddit.com ↗

Considering a move to Maine from Texas. What should I ...

Maine is very expensive. Although property tax rates are higher in Texas, the valuations are less. Housing is much cheaper in Texas. State ......

reddit.com ↗

Maine cost of living : r/AskMaine

I’m currently living in the Boston Massachusetts area where everything is so painfully unaffordable and I’m really looking to move to a cheaper area. ......

reddit.com ↗

Moving to Maine Out of Alaska : r/AskMaine

Maine's cost of living is similar to Alaska's, except they pay healthcare staff terribly. Taxes are super high, and you'll also be subject to ......

reddit.com ↗

For everyone who wants to move to Maine, what is ...

Serious question. What is keeping you from just moving? Is it housing, employment or just moving expenses money? We see posts all the time about people ......

reddit.com ↗

Are Maine taxes as bad as people say?

I work with a bunch of guys from New Hampshire and they are always just ragging on Maine for the taxes. Seems like the only joke they have. I've lived ......

reddit.com ↗

Considering moving to Maine : r/AskMaine

Hello Mainers! Coming here to get some opinions and advice from those who already reside in Maine, instead of using google for all my answers. My boyfriend ......

reddit.com ↗

How do you handle the cost of living here? : r/portlandme

Portland is unbelievably expensive with a mediocre job market, high housing expenses, and expensive utilities. What makes you stay here, how do you cope, ......

reddit.com ↗

Please help! : r/AskMaine

Of the New England states, Maine has the lowest income despite high costs. Wages are better until you dump 700 on oil within one month in the ......

reddit.com ↗

Thinking of Moving from Vermont to Maine

There about a 300$ difference in the latest cost of living findings between Maine and Vermont. Average housing cost is about 100K higher in ......

reddit.com ↗

Stay Current

Get notified when Maine tax laws, gun laws, or social policy changes.

Data is informational only. Verify with a tax professional, real estate agent, and local sources before making relocation decisions. Crime data: FBI UCR ~2022. Healthcare: Commonwealth Fund / US News ~2023. Education: Education Week ~2023. Housing: Zillow / Census ACS ~2024. Insurance: rate surveys ~2024. Sponsored links marked “Sponsored” may earn a commission. This does not affect our data or rankings.

Your Priorities

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Quick Profiles

Dial in your priorities

Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable