Now that we’re headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of Maine would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.
Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Pine Tree State?
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to measure how each city in Maine with populations greater than 6,000 voted in past elections. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Republican were named the most conservative cities in the state.
58.2% Republican vote · #2 most conservative in Maine
Located in
Aroostook County, Maine
Caribou is the second largest city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. Its population was 8,189 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
58.2% Republican vote · #2 most conservative in Maine
Located in
Aroostook County, Maine
Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,171 in 2015 as estimated by the US Census, a decrease from the count of 9,692 in the 2010 Census. The city is home to the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College, Husson University Presque Isle, Northern Maine Fairgrounds, The Aroostook Centre Mall, and the Northern Maine Regional Airport.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
52.0% Republican vote · #4 most conservative in 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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
52.0% Republican vote · #4 most conservative in Maine
Located in
Penobscot County, Maine
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
52.0% Republican vote · #4 most conservative in Maine
Old Town is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,840 at the 2010 census. The city’s developed area is chiefly located on relatively large Marsh Island, though its boundaries extend beyond that. The island is surrounded and defined by the Penobscot River to the east, and the Stillwater River to the west.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
49.3% Republican vote · #6 most conservative in 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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
49.3% Republican vote · #6 most conservative in 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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
47.8% Republican vote · #9 most conservative in Maine
Located in
Kennebec County, Maine
Gardiner is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,800 at the 2010 census. Popular with tourists, Gardiner is noted for its culture and old architecture. Gardiner is included in the Augusta, Maine micropolitan New England City and Town Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
47.8% Republican vote · #9 most conservative in 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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
47.8% Republican vote · #9 most conservative in Maine
Located in
Kennebec County, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Kennebec County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Maine’s statewide median.
On the map
Mapping the conservative strongholds in Maine
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most conservative cities in Maine for 2026
To find the most conservative places in Maine, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most conservatives.
We started by making a list of every city in Maine over 6,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 19 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and MIT election data to determine which places rock the most rightward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For The Republican President In 2020
Because no voting data exists at the city level, we used county-level election results from the 2020 election. We assigned every city in a county the percentage of votes that went to the Republicans, effectively extending the county’s results to the city level. In cases where larger cities encompassed an entire county, the election outcomes accurately reflected the city’s political landscape.
Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 19 for each criterion, where number one was the most conservative.
The winner, Caribou, is “The Most Conservative City in Maine For 2026”. The most liberal place in Maine was Westbrook.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most conservative places to live in Maine.
The full plate
Most Conservative Places In Maine
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Conservative Score | Population | % Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caribou | 1.50 | 7,382 | 58.2% |
| 1 | Presque Isle | 1.50 | 8,736 | 58.2% |
| 4 | Bangor | 4.00 | 31,938 | 52.0% |
| 4 | Brewer | 4.00 | 9,652 | 52.0% |
| 4 | Old Town | 4.00 | 7,470 | 52.0% |
| 6 | Lewiston | 6.50 | 38,324 | 49.3% |
| 6 | Auburn | 6.50 | 24,602 | 49.3% |
| 9 | Gardiner | 9.00 | 6,088 | 47.8% |
| 9 | Waterville | 9.00 | 17,077 | 47.8% |
| 9 | Augusta | 9.00 | 19,077 | 47.8% |
| 11 | Belfast | 11.00 | 6,986 | 45.6% |
| 12 | Ellsworth | 12.00 | 8,657 | 42.0% |
| 13 | Saco | 13.50 | 20,819 | 41.8% |
| 13 | Biddeford | 13.50 | 22,498 | 41.8% |
| 15 | Bath | 15.00 | 8,815 | 40.2% |
| 16 | Rockland | 16.00 | 7,035 | 38.3% |
| 18 | Portland | 18.00 | 68,854 | 30.4% |
| 18 | South Portland | 18.00 | 26,930 | 30.4% |
| 18 | Westbrook | 18.00 | 20,775 | 30.4% |
Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 19 cities with more than 6,000 residents.
Summary
Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in Maine
Well, there you have it, the places in Maine that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Caribou ranking as the most conservative in the entire state.
The most conservative cities in Maine are Caribou, Presque Isle, Bangor, Brewer, Old Town, Lewiston, Auburn, Gardiner, Waterville, and Augusta.
If you’re curious, here are the least conservative cities in Maine. Not sold on Maine? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
