The 10 Cities In Maine With The Best Weather

The cities with the best weather in Maine for 2026 are South Portland, Lewiston, and Saco. Find out where your city or town ranks.

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.

1

No. 1 best weather city in Maine

South Portland, ME

25,304 peopleSnackAbility 8.5/10
8.5/10
South Portland, ME
Source: Wikipedia User BMRR | CC BY-SA 3.0
285.5 sunny days · 55.4 degree average high
Map of South Portland within Maine Located in Cumberland County, Maine

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.

2

No. 2 best weather city in Maine

Lewiston, ME

36,356 peopleSnackAbility 5/10
5/10
Lewiston, ME
Source: Public domain
286.4 sunny days · 55.3 degree average high
Map of Lewiston within Maine Located in Androscoggin County, Maine

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.

3

No. 3 best weather city in Maine

Saco, ME

18,874 peopleSnackAbility 8.5/10
8.5/10
Saco, ME
Source: Wikipedia User Josh and Melanie Rosenthal | CC BY-SA 2.0
277.1 sunny days · 57.1 degree average high
Map of Saco within Maine Located in York County, Maine

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.

4

No. 4 best weather city in Maine

Portland, ME

66,490 peopleSnackAbility 7.5/10
7.5/10
Portland, ME
Source: Wikipedia User Bd2media | CC BY-SA 4.0
285.5 sunny days · 55.0 degree average high
Map of Portland within Maine Located in Cumberland County, Maine

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.

5

No. 5 best weather city in Maine

Biddeford, ME

21,289 peopleSnackAbility 8/10
8/10
Biddeford, ME
Source: Wikipedia User Tomasso, English Wikipedia | GFDL
277.1 sunny days · 55.8 degree average high
Map of Biddeford within Maine Located in York County, Maine

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.

6

No. 6 best weather city in Maine

Westbrook, ME

17,754 peopleSnackAbility 8.5/10
8.5/10
Westbrook, ME
Source: Wikipedia User Kenenth C. Zirkel | CC BY-SA 4.0
285.5 sunny days · 55.9 degree average high
Map of Westbrook within Maine Located in Cumberland County, Maine

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.

7

No. 7 best weather city in Maine

Waterville, ME

15,989 peopleSnackAbility 6/10
6/10
Waterville, ME
Source: Wikipedia User Billy Hathorn | CC BY-SA 3.0
285.4 sunny days · 55.5 degree average high
Map of Waterville within Maine Located in Kennebec County, Maine

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.

8

No. 8 best weather city in Maine

Auburn, ME

22,916 peopleSnackAbility 6/10
6/10
Auburn, ME
Source: Wikipedia User Aissa Richards | CC BY 3.0
286.4 sunny days · 55.2 degree average high
Map of Auburn within Maine Located in Androscoggin County, Maine

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.

9

No. 9 best weather city in Maine

Augusta, ME

18,772 peopleSnackAbility 4/10
4/10
Augusta, ME
Source: Wikipedia User Terry Ross from Augusta, Maine, United States | CC BY 2.0
285.8 sunny days · 55.3 degree average high
Map of Augusta within Maine Located in Kennebec County, Maine

Augusta is the capital of the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Kennebec County.

10

No. 10 best weather city in Maine

Bangor, ME

32,695 peopleSnackAbility 6/10
6/10
Bangor, ME
Source: Public domain
283.1 sunny days · 54.2 degree average high
Map of Bangor within Maine Located in Penobscot County, Maine

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.

The receipts

Compare the top ten

Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Maine’s statewide median.

City Sunny days vs ME
1 South Portland 285.5
2 Lewiston 286.4
3 Saco 277.1
4 Portland 285.5
5 Biddeford 277.1
6 Westbrook 285.5
7 Waterville 285.4
8 Auburn 286.4
9 Augusta 285.8
10 Bangor 283.1
City Avg. annual high vs ME
1 South Portland 55.4
2 Lewiston 55.3
3 Saco 57.1
4 Portland 55.0
5 Biddeford 55.8
6 Westbrook 55.9
7 Waterville 55.5
8 Auburn 55.2
9 Augusta 55.3
10 Bangor 54.2
City Avg. annual low vs ME
1 South Portland 38.3
2 Lewiston 35.3
3 Saco 37.2
4 Portland 38.1
5 Biddeford 38.0
6 Westbrook 36.5
7 Waterville 33.8
8 Auburn 35.2
9 Augusta 34.8
10 Bangor 33.9
City Avg. annual snowfall vs ME
1 South Portland 62.9
2 Lewiston 68.0
3 Saco 58.9
4 Portland 66.6
5 Biddeford 57.1
6 Westbrook 68.3
7 Waterville 68.7
8 Auburn 68.8
9 Augusta 69.0
10 Bangor 66.8
City Avg. annual precipitation vs ME
1 South Portland 47.4
2 Lewiston 46.0
3 Saco 48.2
4 Portland 47.3
5 Biddeford 48.5
6 Westbrook 47.8
7 Waterville 42.2
8 Auburn 46.2
9 Augusta 43.2
10 Bangor 42.6
City Population vs ME
1 South Portland 25,304
2 Lewiston 36,356
3 Saco 18,874
4 Portland 66,490
5 Biddeford 21,289
6 Westbrook 17,754
7 Waterville 15,989
8 Auburn 22,916
9 Augusta 18,772
10 Bangor 32,695

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.

RankCityPopulationSunny DaysAvg. HighPrecipitation (Inches)Snow (Inches)
1South Portland25,304285.555.447.462.9
2Lewiston36,356286.455.346.068.0
3Saco18,874277.157.148.258.9
4Portland66,490285.555.047.366.6
5Biddeford21,289277.155.848.557.1
6Westbrook17,754285.555.947.868.3
7Waterville15,989285.455.542.268.7
8Auburn22,916286.455.246.268.8
9Augusta18,772285.855.343.269.0
10Bangor32,695283.154.242.666.8
11Brunswick15,453

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.

Keep reading

More rankings worth a look

Chris Kolmar
About the author

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

Get the SnackPack →