Everyone wants a bit of a blissful breeze or a scoop of sunny sanctuary when looking for a place to live in Maine.
The more sun, the more you can go outside. The more you go outside, the more you’ll feel at peace. The more you’ll feel at peace, the more you’ll enjoy where you live.
So it makes sense to try and find the places with the best weather in Maine. We used Saturday Night Science to compare the number of sunny days, total precipitation, and the deviation from the ideal 70-degree weather for 11 places in Maine over 15,000 people.
Grab your shades and put away your raincoat as we look at the cities with the best weather in Maine.
285.5 sunny days · 55.4 degree average high
South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state, incorporated in 1898. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,002. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is situated on Portland Harbor and overlooks the skyline of Portland and the islands of Casco Bay. Due to South Portland’s close proximity to air, marine, rail, and highway transportation options, the city has become a center for retail and industry in the region.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
286.4 sunny days · 55.3 degree average high
Lewiston is the second largest city in Maine and the most central city in Androscoggin County. The city borders the coastal sideways of the Gulf of Maine and is south of Augusta, the state’s capital and north of Portland, the cultural hub of Maine. It is one-half of the Lewiston-Auburn Metropolitan Statistical Area, commonly referred to as “L.A.” or “L-A.” Lewiston exerts a significant impact upon the diversity, religious variety, commerce, education, and economic power of Maine. It is known for a relatively low cost of living, substantial access to medical care, and an extremely low violent crime rate. While the dominant language spoken in the city is English, it is home to the largest French-speaking population in the United States while it is second to St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, in percentage of speakers.
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277.1 sunny days · 57.1 degree average high
Saco is a city in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 18,482 at the 2010 census. It is home to Ferry Beach State Park, Funtown Splashtown USA, Thornton Academy, as well as General Dynamics Armament Systems, a subsidiary of the defense contractor General Dynamics. Saco sees much tourism during summer months, due to its amusement parks, Ferry Beach State Park, and proximity to Old Orchard Beach.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
285.5 sunny days · 55.0 degree average high
Portland is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine, with a population of 66,937 as of 2016. This makes it the fourth least populous city in the U.S. to be the most populous in its state. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, more than one-third of Maine’s total population. The Old Port district is frequented by tourists, while Portland Head Light is also a destination. The city seal depicts a phoenix rising from ashes, which is a reference to the recoveries from four devastating fires. Portland was named after the English Isle of Portland, and the city of Portland, Oregon, was in turn named after Portland, Maine.
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277.1 sunny days · 55.8 degree average high
Biddeford is a city in York County, Maine, United States. It is the principal commercial center of York County. The population was 21,277 at the 2010 census. Twin city of Saco, Biddeford includes the resort community of Biddeford Pool, Fortunes Rocks and Granite Point. The town is the site of the University of New England and the annual La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival. First visited by Europeans in 1616, it is the site of one of the earliest European settlements in the United States.
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285.5 sunny days · 55.9 degree average high
Westbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and a suburb of Portland. The population was 17,494 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.
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285.4 sunny days · 55.5 degree average high
Waterville is a city in Kennebec County of the U.S. state of Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. Home to Colby College and Thomas College, the population was 15,722 at the 2010 census. Waterville is also the latter of the cities which make up the Augusta-Waterville, ME Micropolitan Statistical Area.
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286.4 sunny days · 55.2 degree average high
Auburn is a city in and the county seat of Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 23,055 at the 2010 census. Auburn and Lewiston are known locally as the Twin Cities or Lewiston-Auburn.
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285.8 sunny days · 55.3 degree average high
Augusta is the capital of the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Kennebec County.
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283.1 sunny days · 54.2 degree average high
Bangor is a city along the Penobscot River in the U.S. state of Maine. The city proper has a population of 33,039, while the Bangor metropolitan area has a population of 153,746. Bangor is known as the “Queen City” of Maine.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
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Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Maine’s statewide median.
On the map
Where Maine’s best weather is
Saturday Night Science
How We Determined The Cities In Maine With The Best Weather
To rank the most fair weather cities in Maine, we used Saturday Night Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database, to see which cities in the Pine Tree State get the best weather.
We used the following criteria to find the best weather:
- Number of sunny days
- Highest average low
- Average high deviation from 70 degrees
- Least amount of rain
- Least amount of snow
We ranked each city of over 15,000 people in Maine from best to worst on each criterion. We then averaged each ranking into a weather quality index. The city with the best index, South Portland, was anointed the city with the best weather in Maine.
Before we get too far, here are the annual precipitation rates for major cities: Portland (47.3 inches), Lewiston (46.0 inches), and Bangor (42.6 inches).
The cities with the best weather in Maine are South Portland, Lewiston, Saco, Portland, Biddeford, Westbrook, Waterville, Auburn, Augusta, and Bangor.
There’s a complete chart at the bottom.
The full plate
Detailed List Of Places With The Best Weather In Maine
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Sunny Days | Avg. High | Precipitation (Inches) | Snow (Inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Portland | 25,304 | 285.5 | 55.4 | 47.4 | 62.9 |
| 2 | Lewiston | 36,356 | 286.4 | 55.3 | 46.0 | 68.0 |
| 3 | Saco | 18,874 | 277.1 | 57.1 | 48.2 | 58.9 |
| 4 | Portland | 66,490 | 285.5 | 55.0 | 47.3 | 66.6 |
| 5 | Biddeford | 21,289 | 277.1 | 55.8 | 48.5 | 57.1 |
| 6 | Westbrook | 17,754 | 285.5 | 55.9 | 47.8 | 68.3 |
| 7 | Waterville | 15,989 | 285.4 | 55.5 | 42.2 | 68.7 |
| 8 | Auburn | 22,916 | 286.4 | 55.2 | 46.2 | 68.8 |
| 9 | Augusta | 18,772 | 285.8 | 55.3 | 43.2 | 69.0 |
| 10 | Bangor | 32,695 | 283.1 | 54.2 | 42.6 | 66.8 |
| 11 | Brunswick | 15,453 |
Source: NOAA climate data. 11 Maine cities with more than 15,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: The Cities With The Best Weather In Maine For 2026
If you’re looking for the Maine cities with the most sunny days, the least rain and snow, and highs closest to a perfect 70 degrees, this is an accurate list.
The cities with the best weather in Maine are South Portland, Lewiston, Saco, Portland, Biddeford, Westbrook, Waterville, Auburn, Augusta, and Bangor.