Cost of living in Orono research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Orono is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Maine, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Orono is 104, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Orono is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Orono ranks as the #14 cheapest in Maine out of 30.
Orono ranks as the #3,063 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Orono is $307,748.
The median income in Orono is $56,890.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Orono has an overall cost of living index of 104, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Maine, Orono has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Maine's index of 101.
The standard of living in Orono ranks as #14 most affordable out of the 30 places we measured in Maine. By definition, that implies Orono ranks as the #16 most expensive place in the Pine Tree State.
For more reading on life in Orono, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Orono. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Orono is 107.
The Groceries index in Orono is 103.
The Health index in Orono is 103.
The Housing index in Orono is 97.
The Transportation index in Orono is 107.
The Utilities index in Orono is 108.
| Living Expense | Orono | Maine | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 104 | 101 | 100 | |
| Services | 107 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 103 | 103 | 100 | |
| Health | 103 | 104 | 100 | |
| Housing | 97 | 90 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 107 | 108 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 108 | 105 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Maine, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Orono is $307,748.
The Median Rent in Orono is $1,150.
The Median Income in Orono is $56,890.
The Home Value To Income in Orono is 5.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Orono is 0.24x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Orono. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Bangor, ME has a cost of living index of 102, 1.0x Orono.
Brewer, ME has a cost of living index of 100, 1.0x Orono.
Ellsworth, ME has a cost of living index of 102, 1.0x Orono.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Orono |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor, ME | 31,663 | 102 | 1.0x |
| Brewer, ME | 9,654 | 100 | 1.0x |
| Ellsworth, ME | 8,550 | 102 | 1.0x |
| Belfast, ME | 6,985 | 105 | 1.0x |