The 10 Safest Cities In Maine For 2025

The safest cities in Maine are Eliot and Cumberland for 2025 using Saturday Night Science.

There's a reason why places in Maine are also known as "Vacationland" -- they're super safe.

Maine is the 2nd safest state in the country to be exact. But Maine does have its fair share of problems, mostly petty crimes. And it wouldn't be right if we didn't mention that the state does have some dangerous places too.

However, Maine's violent and property crime numbers speak volumes, as they are virtually non-existent.

Before you set out to find your home in this New England state, we suggest you look at the list of the safest places in Maine for 2025. We took the guessing out of the game and consulted the numbers by analyzing 59 cities with over 5,000 residents. In particular, we looked at property and violent crimes per capita for every place in Maine.

Turns out Maine has safe places to live for every type of person. For instance, Bath is safe for singles, Bar Harbor is one of the safest places to live if you love the beach, and if money is no object you should give Brewer a look.

Want to know more about Maine's safest areas? Grab a lobster roll and read on.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table

Here are the 10 safest cities to live in Maine for 2025:

  1. Eliot (Homes For Sale)
  2. Cumberland (Homes For Sale)
  3. Cape Elizabeth (Homes For Sale)
  4. Gorham (Homes For Sale)
  5. Sabattus (Homes For Sale)
  6. Hampden (Homes For Sale)
  7. South Berwick (Homes For Sale)
  8. Orono (Homes For Sale)
  9. Belfast (Homes For Sale)
  10. Bar Harbor (Homes For Sale)
Safest Cities In Maine Map

What city is the safest place to live in Maine for 2025? According to the most recent FBI data, Eliot is the safest place to live in The Pine Tree State.

Check out the rest of Maine's top ten safest cities. And if you don't find your favorite there, head to the bottom to see how your city ranked.

For more reading on safe places to live in and around Maine, check out:

The 10 Safest Cities In Maine For 2025

1. Eliot
Eliot, ME
Source: Wikipedia User John Phelan | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 7,511
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (second safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 199 (fourth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Eliot: Real Estate

Located in the deep south of the deep northern state, Eliot is the fourth safest place in Maine. But that doesn't tell the whole story; Eliot actually gets the gold medal in terms of violent crime, with the town not experiencing a single case of violence in the last year of available data. If you're curious about the peaceful roots of idyllic Eliot, visiting the Raitt Homestead Farm Museum might be illuminating.

It's a wonder that more of Eliot's New Hampshire neighbors aren't swimming across the Piscataqua River to join in on all the good times.

2. Cumberland
Cumberland, ME
Source: Wikipedia User John Phelan | CC BY-SA 4.0

Population: 8,845
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (second safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 260 (fifth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Cumberland: Real Estate

Welcome to Cumberland, our second safest city in Maine for 2025. It's so safe in this little city along the Casco Bay, that the moose, bears, and coyotes are always showing their faces at the same time every evening reminding the residents to get home before dark. Thanks furry friends!

Located along slightly northeast of Portland, Cumberland offers a safe environment with small town charm that packs a big punch. Not literally, of course. No fighting happens in Cumberland County; that wouldn't be safe. Not to mention, they have way better things to do with their time like taking a walk thru Broad Park Reserve or playing a safe game of touch football at the West Cumberland Athletic Complex.

3. Cape Elizabeth
Cape Elizabeth, ME
Source: Wikipedia User Rapidfire | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 9,610
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 20 (seventh safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 166 (second safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Cape Elizabeth: Real Estate

With a little over 9,000 residents, the superb quality of life in this little city just outside of Portland, is the reason that it is our third safest city in Maine for 2025.

The residents claim that Cape Elizabeth is where "Your problems will be smaller, You burdens will be few, For Friends are made for helping, And that's just what they do." We think this is definitely why they scored a whopping 8/10 on our snackablity scale with an 8.5/10 safety score. They are always looking out for each other.

Gorham, ME
Source: Wikipedia User | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 18,344
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 21 (eighth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 397 (seventh safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Gorham: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
6
/10

Welcome to our fourth safest city in Maine: Gorham. This city with a little over 17,000 residents in Cumberland County, should be called the 'The Best City to live in Maine,' too, because all is crazy safe and super fine in this middle-of-nowhere city.

Congrats to Gorham, their snackability rating is off the charts with their low crime and high safety score! Their number of strong job market scored an 8/10 and their education rating a 9.5/10! Do we think this has something to do with the fact that it's home to the University of Southern Maine? Probably.

5. Sabattus
Sabattus, ME
Source: Wikipedia User John Phelan | CC BY-SA 4.0

Population: 5,161
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 38 (12th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 174 (third safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Sabattus: Real Estate

Towns don't come much safer than Sabattus; in fact, if you're in Maine, they definitely don't. Sabattus was just shy of perfection in terms of violent crime, allowing just one to slip through in the last year of available data. That still means violent crime is nearly 20 times less frequent in Sabattus as your average American city. And property crime is also far from an issue in Sabattus, which averaged only 1.5 cases per month.

This is all great news for folks who just want a chill place to play some disc golf without fear of injury or Frisbee theft. Sabattus is located in Oxford County, just 40 miles north of Portland.

Hampden, ME
Source: Wikipedia User | CC-BY-3.0

Population: 8,057
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 12 (fifth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 471 (11th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Hampden: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
6
/10

Hampden is not like the inside of a men's correctional facility, it is actually safe. This is why it has become our sixth safest city in Maine for 2025. And if you don't know how to keep it safe in this little city in York County, they will put you in Maine's State Prison.

Hampden's residents say that this little slice of the Maine lobstah pie, is the 'Pride of The Pine Tree State.' So it is no surprise that they keep moving up our list. And, it's definitely not shocking that they scored a 9/10 safety rating.

7. South Berwick
South Berwick, ME
Source: Wikipedia User User:Magicpiano | GFDL

Population: 7,847
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 25 (ninth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 420 (ninth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on South Berwick: Real Estate

Orono, ME
Source: Wikipedia User E Julienn | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 12,641
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 47 (18th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 102 (safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Orono: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
7
/10

Orono ranks as the eighth safest city in Maine. They crushed our snackability scale with a gold star job ranking and an education score that make the smartest cities in Maine look like chump change. Smart people know that working hard creates a safe, productive environment necessary for a small city to survive.

When Orono residents aren't busy putting up "moose crossing" signs or those "drive like your child lives here" signs, they are safely cheering for the University of Maine. With crime per capita rates of 47/100k people for violence and 102/100k people for property crime, it's one safe place for Mainers.

Belfast, ME
Source: Wikipedia User | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 7,111
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (second safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 632 (17th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Belfast: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
8
/10

A quaint seaport along the coast of Maine, Belfast has a rich historical tradition. It also has a lot going for it in the present day. Well situated within the state, Belfast is less than an hour away from the city of Bangor. At the same time, Belfast also provides one of the safest places to live in the state.

A relatively small town of 7,111 people, Belfast had just 45 property crimes in a year. This included 2 burglaries and 0 cars stolen. Things look even better when it comes to violent crimes. There were only 0 such violations during the year.

These figures lead to an overall crime rate of 632/100k people, making Belfast the number 9 safest place to live in Maine.

Bar Harbor, ME
Source: Wikipedia User Lee Coursey | CC BY 2.0

Population: 7,538
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 26 (tenth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 477 (12th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Bar Harbor: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
7
/10

Bar Harbor, Maine, has just 7,538 permanent residents. During the summer, though, the population swells as thousands flock to this scenic tourist retreat. Located on Mount Desert Island, the largest island off Maine's coast, the area provides excellent access to water activities. At the same time, it sits a short drive away from the stunning Acadia National Park, providing another draw for the town.

Bar Harbor can offer another benefit to its legions of visitors: peace of mind. The community stands at number 10 on the list of safest places in Maine.

This designation comes about as Bar Harbor reported just 36 property crimes during the year. Violence was even less of a problem. The community suffered a scant 2 violent crimes during a 12-month period.

Methodology: How we calculated the safest cities in Maine for 2025

Safest Cities in Maine Graph

While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in Maine are the safest, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's most recent crime report in Maine.

Specifically, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of property and violent crimes in each city annually. We used two criteria:

  • Violent crimes per capita (murders, assaults, rapes, armed robberies)
  • Property crimes per capita (thefts, burglaries, motor vehicle thefts)

For example, there were 15 crimes committed in Eliot, with a reported population of 7,511. That means the number of crimes per capita is 0.002, which translates into a 1 in 500 chance of being the victim of a crime.

We only looked at Maine cities that have populations of more than 5,000. This filter left us with 59 of the biggest cities in Maine to rank.

We ranked each city for each criterion from 1 to 59 where 1 in any particular category is the safest.

Next, we averaged each place's two criteria to create a Safety Index. We crowned the place with the lowest overall Safety Score, "The Safest Place In Maine," with any ties going to the bigger city.

The safest city in Maine, based on our criteria, is Eliot. The most dangerous city in Maine? Augusta, where residents had a 1 in 23 chance of being the victim of a crime.

This article has been update for 2025. This report marks our tenth time ranking the safest places to live in Maine. All the data comes from the FBI's Crime In The USA 2024 report.

Best Places To Retire In Maine

Summary: The Safest Cities In The Pine Tree State

Looking at the data, you can tell that Eliot is as safe as they come in Maine, according to science and data.

But as most Maine residents would agree, almost every place here has its safe and not safe parts. So just make sure you're informed ahead of time.

The safest places in Maine are .

Here's a look at the most dangerous cities in Maine according to the data:

  1. Augusta
  2. Portland
  3. Biddeford
For more reading, check out:

Where Are The 10 Safest Cities In Maine For 2025?

Rank City Population Violent Crimes Per 100k Property Crimes Per 100k Murders Per 100k Murders
1 Eliot, ME 7,511 0 199 0 0
2 Cumberland, ME 8,845 0 260 0 0
3 Cape Elizabeth, ME 9,610 20 166 0 0
4 Gorham, ME 18,344 21 397 0 0
5 Sabattus, ME 5,161 38 174 0 0
6 Hampden, ME 8,057 12 471 0 0
7 South Berwick, ME 7,847 25 420 0 0
8 Orono, ME 12,641 47 102 0 0
9 Belfast, ME 7,111 0 632 0 0
10 Bar Harbor, ME 7,538 26 477 0 0
11 York, ME 14,249 49 456 0 0
12 Lisbon, ME 9,731 41 626 0 0
13 Waldoboro, ME 5,378 37 1,004 0 0
14 Bucksport, ME 5,039 59 535 0 0
15 Topsham, ME 9,814 40 957 0 0
16 Old Town, ME 7,433 40 995 0 0
17 Oakland, ME 6,396 46 828 0 0
18 Falmouth, ME 13,004 61 592 0 0
19 Camden, ME 5,221 0 1,168 0 0
20 Kennebunk, ME 12,040 66 631 0 0
21 Yarmouth, ME 9,036 88 420 0 0
22 East Millinocket, ME 6,860 58 830 0 0
23 Bath, ME 8,871 67 721 22 2
24 Wells, ME 12,027 83 723 0 0
25 Norway, ME 5,356 18 1,904 0 0
26 Freeport, ME 8,795 56 1,057 0 0
27 Winthrop, ME 6,224 48 1,124 0 0
28 Windham, ME 20,064 84 762 0 0
29 North Berwick, ME 5,275 170 284 0 0
30 Scarborough, ME 24,147 62 1,056 0 0
31 Bridgton, ME 5,772 69 1,022 0 0
32 Kittery, ME 11,031 54 1,178 0 0
33 Brewer, ME 9,639 41 1,794 0 0
34 Berwick, ME 8,364 119 801 0 0
35 Houlton, ME 6,080 49 1,513 0 0
36 Buxton, ME 8,591 116 896 0 0
37 Saco, ME 21,144 80 1,078 0 0
38 Gardiner, ME 6,222 112 1,012 16 1
39 Paris, ME 5,429 73 1,086 0 0
40 South Portland, ME 26,931 63 1,370 0 0
41 Old Orchard Beach, ME 9,503 105 1,041 0 0
42 Brunswick, ME 22,662 70 1,191 0 0
43 Winslow, ME 8,049 149 1,068 0 0
44 Rockland, ME 7,059 84 1,869 0 0
45 Farmington, ME 8,727 126 1,409 0 0
46 Westbrook, ME 20,608 174 1,154 4 1
47 Fairfield, ME 6,557 122 2,196 0 0
48 Rumford, ME 6,034 165 1,872 0 0
49 Lewiston, ME 38,850 244 1,528 2 1
50 Waterville, ME 16,867 142 3,023 17 3
51 Skowhegan, ME 8,700 137 3,712 0 0
52 Sanford, ME 22,345 156 2,626 0 0
53 Presque Isle, ME 8,642 219 2,175 0 0
54 Ellsworth, ME 8,812 204 2,349 0 0
55 Auburn, ME 25,038 215 2,428 3 1
56 Bangor, ME 31,598 161 4,237 15 5
57 Biddeford, ME 22,310 313 2,348 8 2
58 Portland, ME 69,310 266 2,478 7 5
59 Augusta, ME 19,164 250 4,091 5 1

Breaking Down Crime In The Safest And Most Dangerous Cities In Maine

Safest Cities in Maine Breakdown

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.

Safest Cities By State

Enjoy The Snack?

About HomeSnacks

HomeSnacks is based in Durham, NC.

We aim to deliver bite-sized pieces of infotainment about where you live.

We use data, analytics, and a sense of humor to determine quality of life for places across the nation.

© Chasing Chains, LLC. All rights reserved.