State profile
Maine Cost of Living Comparison
Maine's 2024 price level is 97.050, 2.95% below the national level, but that average blends cheap rents (78.940) with utilities 35.19% above the U.S. level.
Updated
97.050Maine all-items price level, U.S. = 100 · rank 26 of 51, lowest first
| Measure | Maine | Texas | First − second |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-items price level | 97.050 | 97.057 | −0.007 points |
| Rent price level | 78.940 | 96.503 | −17.563 points |
| Home value | $296,600±$2,876 | $283,800±$738 | +$12,800 |
| Two-bedroom gross rent | $1,224±$17 | $1,395±$5 | −$171 |
| Household income | $74,733±$795 | $78,476±$263 | −$3,743 |
| Real estate taxes paid | $3,036±$26 | $4,232±$19 | −$1,196 |
$4,000 of monthly spending in Maine scales to $4,000 in Texas at the 2024 all-items price ratio.
BEA 2024 and ACS 2020–2024; ± marks the Census 90% margin. How to read a gap
Maine: cheap rents, expensive energy, one neighbour
Maine's categories point in opposite directions. Its rent parity ranks 18th-lowest of 51, while utilities, at 135.189, rank 46th and other services, at 103.191, rank 47th. Goods are close to the national level at 97.171. Heating and power quotes for the actual dwelling deserve as much attention as the rent.
Housing costs are mid-table. The median home value is $296,600 (rank 27), the two-bedroom gross-rent median is $1,224 (rank 27) and renters spend 29.4% of income on gross rent, rank 25. The median real estate tax paid is $3,036 a year, rank 20, a heavier property-tax load than the home values alone suggest.
The relative price level spiked in 2022. Maine went from 97.888 in 2020 and 97.343 in 2021 to 100.746 in 2022, above the national level, before falling back to 97.964 and then 97.050.
Incomes are near the middle: the median household income of $74,733 ranks 33rd, and real per capita personal income, adjusted for prices, is $57,480, rank 29.
Maine's state government collected $4,889 per resident in fiscal 2025, rank 17, with individual income tax supplying 39.5% and general sales 34.3%. Property tax at the state level was just 0.7%.
New Hampshire is Maine's only neighbour and a markedly different market: its price level is 104.165, its rent parity 114.947, its two-bedroom median $1,642, or $418 a month more, and its median home value $402,500, which is $105,900 above Maine's. Texas, at 97.057, has almost exactly Maine's price level.
Category price levels in Maine
| Category | Parity | Rank, low first | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 97.050 | 26 | 2.95% below |
| Goods | 97.171 | 30 | 2.83% below |
| Housing (rents) | 78.940 | 18 | 21.06% below |
| Utilities | 135.189 | 46 | 35.19% above |
| Other services | 103.191 | 47 | 3.19% above |
| Real income per person, 2017 $ | $57,480 | 29 | U.S. $59,195 |
All items by year: 2020 97.888 · 2021 97.343 · 2022 100.746 · 2023 97.964 · 2024 97.050 (−0.838 since 2020). How to read categories and trends
Monthly housing costs
- Owners with a mortgage
- $1,729±$15 · rank 31, high first
- Owners without a mortgage
- $638±$6 · rank 24
- Renters: gross rent / income
- 29.4%±0.5 · rank 25
Maine state tax collections, FY2025
$6.92 billion in total, $4,889 per resident. Scope of these figures
| Tax | FY2025 | Share | Per resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual income | $2.73 billion | 39.5% | $1,929 |
| General sales | $2.37 billion | 34.3% | $1,676 |
| Property | $49.0 million | 0.7% | $35 |
| Motor fuel | $253.5 million | 3.7% | $179 |
| Other selective sales | $632.6 million | 9.1% | $447 |
| Corporate income | $410.1 million | 5.9% | $290 |
| Licenses | $333.3 million | 4.8% | $236 |
| Severance | not levied | ||
| Other taxes | $137.9 million | 2.0% | $97 |
Maine beside its neighbours
| Jurisdiction | All items | Rents | Goods | 2BR rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | 97.050 | 78.940 | 97.171 | $1,224 |
| New Hampshire | 104.165 | 114.947 | 98.578 | $1,642 |
Beyond its one border, the nearest 2024 all-items price levels to Maine:
Before you budget a move
A Maine household comparison should reflect whether the proposed housing is year-round and which utility costs belong to the tenant. A statewide median gross rent summarizes occupied cash-rent units. It does not quote temporary accommodation, a seasonal contract or the services included in a particular advertised lease.
For Portland or another Maine destination, collect the annual compensation offer and actual commuting plan. A household changing housing tenure needs separate financing or leasing inputs. Median home value is not a purchase price guarantee, and median household income is not the salary of the job under consideration.
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