Sign In Register

Most Affordable Cities in Maine

The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Maine

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Home Prices · 30% Rent · 20% Cost Index · 25% Rent Burden · 15% Jobs · 10%

Top 12 Affordability Cities in Maine

Ranked by composite score across 5 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 69.4
Madison, ME
2,552 residents
Home Prices $70,800
Rent $880
Cost Index 97
#2
Score 68.6
Van Buren, ME
1,614 residents
Home Prices $90,200
Rent $596
Cost Index 97
#3
Score 67.2
Limestone, ME
1,120 residents
Home Prices $91,500
Rent $580
Cost Index 97
#4
Score 66.5
Milo, ME
1,445 residents
Home Prices $88,000
Rent $608
Cost Index 97
#5
Score 65.5
Millinocket, ME
4,111 residents
Home Prices $86,500
Rent $555
Cost Index 97
#6
Score 65.1
Norridgewock, ME
1,155 residents
Home Prices $173,000
Rent $968
Cost Index 97
#7
Score 64.5
Caribou, ME
7,427 residents
Home Prices $120,300
Rent $696
Cost Index 97
#8
Score 64.2
Dover-Foxcroft, ME
2,758 residents
Home Prices $137,500
Rent $880
Cost Index 97
#9
Score 63.4
Rumford, ME
4,017 residents
Home Prices $115,300
Rent $622
Cost Index 97
#10
Score 63.3
East Millinocket, ME
1,545 residents
Home Prices $73,900
Rent $625
Cost Index 97
#11
Score 63.3
Dixfield, ME
1,770 residents
Home Prices $147,900
Rent $716
Cost Index 97
#12
Score 63.1
Eastport, ME
1,230 residents
Home Prices $148,200
Rent $538
Cost Index 97

Full Ranking, Maine

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Madison ME 69.4
2 Van Buren ME 68.6
3 Limestone ME 67.2
4 Milo ME 66.5
5 Millinocket ME 65.5
6 Norridgewock ME 65.1
7 Caribou ME 64.5
8 Dover-Foxcroft ME 64.2
9 Rumford ME 63.4
10 East Millinocket ME 63.3
11 Dixfield ME 63.3
12 Eastport ME 63.1
13 Chisholm ME 63.1
14 Woodland ME 62.4
15 Machias ME 62.3
16 Presque Isle ME 62
17 Pittsfield ME 61.8
18 Milford ME 61.7
19 Winthrop ME 61.2
20 Winslow ME 61.1
21 South Paris ME 61.1
22 Randolph ME 61
23 Skowhegan ME 61
24 Norway ME 61
25 Mexico ME 60.9
26 Calais ME 60.8
27 Fort Kent ME 60.6
28 Lincoln ME 60.4
29 Newport ME 60.4
30 Wilton ME 59.7
31 Lisbon ME 59.4
32 Dexter ME 59.4
33 Howland ME 59.2
34 Hallowell ME 58.9
35 Oakland ME 58.4
36 Farmington ME 58.3
37 Bridgton ME 57.8
38 Fairfield ME 57.8
39 Fort Fairfield ME 57.4
40 Waterville ME 57.4
41 Old Town ME 57.4
42 Augusta ME 57.3
43 Ellsworth ME 57
44 Lewiston ME 57
45 Bangor ME 56.9
46 Lisbon Falls ME 56.8
47 Brewer ME 56.4
48 Richmond ME 55.7
49 Bucksport ME 55.6
50 Hampden ME 55.6

Madison, ME tops the list with a composite score of 69.4 out of 100, followed by Van Buren and Limestone. ME dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for affordability.

Rankings combine 5 independent metrics: Home Prices, Rent, Cost Index, Rent Burden, Jobs. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to affordability, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Families
Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Lowest Rent → Lowest Income → Safest Cities →