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 counties 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 using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Maine For 2026
Cumberland County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Maine. And you should avoid Washington County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Maine. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Maine and the cheapest places to live in Maine.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Maine For 2026
1. Cumberland County
Biggest Place: Portland
Population: 308,827
Median Income: $95,677 (best)
Median Home Price: $553,854 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (2nd best)
More on Cumberland County: Data
2. York County
Biggest Place: Biddeford
Population: 216,731
Median Income: $88,333 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $521,707 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (3rd best)
More on York County: Data
3. Lincoln County
Biggest Place: Waldoboro
Population: 36,099
Median Income: $76,875 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $432,603 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (best)
More on Lincoln County: Data
4. Sagadahoc County
Biggest Place: Bath
Population: 37,285
Median Income: $87,806 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $425,847 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (14th best)
More on Sagadahoc County: Data
5. Knox County
Biggest Place: Rockland
Population: 41,003
Median Income: $74,096 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $433,825 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (8th best)
More on Knox County: Data
6. Kennebec County
Biggest Place: Augusta
Population: 126,808
Median Income: $69,077 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $311,145 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (9th best)
More on Kennebec County: Data
7. Hancock County
Biggest Place: Ellsworth
Population: 56,460
Median Income: $72,744 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $404,470 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (12th best)
More on Hancock County: Data
8. Penobscot County
Biggest Place: Bangor
Population: 154,710
Median Income: $66,356 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $272,565 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (6th best)
More on Penobscot County: Data
9. Waldo County
Biggest Place: Belfast
Population: 40,192
Median Income: $72,782 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $332,937 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (7th best)
More on Waldo County: Data
10. Androscoggin County
Biggest Place: Lewiston
Population: 113,423
Median Income: $67,873 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $325,849 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (11th best)
More on Androscoggin 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 made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent 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, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Pine Tree State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best counties to live in Maine.
Read on to see why Cumberland 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 2026
Living in Maine can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Maine are Cumberland County, York County, Lincoln County, Sagadahoc County, Knox County, Kennebec County, Hancock County, Penobscot County, Waldo County, and Androscoggin County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Maine according to the data:
- Washington County
- Aroostook County
- Piscataquis County
For more Maine reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Maine
- Best Places To Retire In Maine
- Best Places To Buy A House In Maine
- Safest Places In Maine
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Maine
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cumberland County | 308,827 | $95,677 | $553,854 |
| 2 | York County | 216,731 | $88,333 | $521,707 |
| 3 | Lincoln County | 36,099 | $76,875 | $432,603 |
| 4 | Sagadahoc County | 37,285 | $87,806 | $425,847 |
| 5 | Knox County | 41,003 | $74,096 | $433,825 |
| 6 | Kennebec County | 126,808 | $69,077 | $311,145 |
| 7 | Hancock County | 56,460 | $72,744 | $404,470 |
| 8 | Penobscot County | 154,710 | $66,356 | $272,565 |
| 9 | Waldo County | 40,192 | $72,782 | $332,937 |
| 10 | Androscoggin County | 113,423 | $67,873 | $325,849 |
| 11 | Somerset County | 50,959 | $58,179 | $229,116 |
| 12 | Oxford County | 59,255 | $60,173 | $317,812 |
| 13 | Franklin County | 30,413 | $58,675 | $283,608 |
| 14 | Piscataquis County | 17,263 | $61,345 | $222,491 |
| 15 | Aroostook County | 67,058 | $56,700 | $158,139 |
| 16 | Washington County | 31,331 | $56,024 | $192,414 |