Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment: is Maine a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best places to live in Maine.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Pine Tree State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, the question becomes, if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Maine, where would you go? To answer that we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 16 counties in the state.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Pine Tree State for 2022.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Maine For 2022
York County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Maine. And you might want to avoid Washington County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move Maine, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Maine and the cheapest places to live in Maine.
The Best Counties To Live In Maine For 2022
1. York County
Biggest Place: Biddeford
Population: 206,074
Median Income: $68,932.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $260,800.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (2nd best)
More on York County: Photos | Data
2. Sagadahoc County
Biggest Place: Bath
Population: 35,720
Median Income: $68,039.0 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $222,900.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (7th best)
More on Sagadahoc County: Photos | Data
3. Cumberland County
Biggest Place: Portland
Population: 294,520
Median Income: $76,014.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $288,800.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (best)
More on Cumberland County: Photos | Data
4. Hancock County
Biggest Place: Ellsworth
Population: 54,832
Median Income: $58,345.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $218,000.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (4th best)
More on Hancock County: Photos | Data
5. Knox County
Biggest Place: Rockland
Population: 39,809
Median Income: $57,794.0 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $209,900.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (3rd best)
More on Knox County: Photos | Data
6. Waldo County
Biggest Place: Belfast
Population: 39,723
Median Income: $58,034.0 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $169,400.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (12th best)
More on Waldo County: Photos | Data
7. Lincoln County
Biggest Place: Waldoboro
Population: 34,415
Median Income: $58,125.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $220,000.0 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (6th best)
More on Lincoln County: Photos | Data
8. Androscoggin County
Biggest Place: Lewiston
Population: 107,958
Median Income: $55,002.0 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $166,600.0 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (8th best)
More on Androscoggin County: Photos | Data
9. Kennebec County
Biggest Place: Augusta
Population: 122,158
Median Income: $55,368.0 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $164,000.0 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (5th best)
More on Kennebec County: Photos | Data
10. Franklin County
Biggest Place: Farmington
Population: 29,933
Median Income: $51,630.0 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $146,900.0 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (11th best)
More on Franklin County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Maine county is the best?
To give you the best county in Maine, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Maine across each of the criteria from one to 16, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Maine”.
The result is some of the safest, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Pine Tree State.
Read on to see why York County is the best county, while Washington County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Maine.
Summary: The Best Counties In Maine To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Maine can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Maine according to the data:
- Washington County
- Aroostook County
- Somerset County
For more Maine reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Maine
- Best Places To Buy A House In Maine
- Richest Cities In Maine
- Cheapest Places To Live In Maine
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Maine
| County | Rank |
|---|---|
| York County | 1 |
| Sagadahoc County | 2 |
| Cumberland County | 3 |
| Hancock County | 4 |
| Knox County | 5 |
| Waldo County | 6 |
| Lincoln County | 7 |
| Androscoggin County | 8 |
| Kennebec County | 9 |
| Franklin County | 10 |
| Penobscot County | 11 |
| Piscataquis County | 12 |
| Oxford County | 13 |
| Somerset County | 14 |
| Aroostook County | 15 |
| Washington County | 16 |
