Best Cities for Families in Maine

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

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.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in Maine

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 80.2
South Portland, ME
26,780 residents
Schools 6.4
Safety 63/100K
Home Affordability $405,800
#2
Score 78.6
Veazie, ME
1,866 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $294,600
#3
Score 77.7
Hampden, ME
4,937 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 12/100K
Home Affordability $270,100
#4
Score 77.6
Gorham, ME
7,365 residents
Schools 6.4
Safety 22/100K
Home Affordability $459,000
#5
Score 76.9
Orono, ME
10,699 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 47/100K
Home Affordability $219,200
#6
Score 75.7
Falmouth, ME
1,447 residents
Schools 6.4
Safety 62/100K
Home Affordability $737,300
#7
Score 75
Old Town, ME
7,439 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 40/100K
Home Affordability $183,200
#8
Score 74.1
Brewer, ME
9,654 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 42/100K
Home Affordability $218,100
#9
Score 72.8
Thomaston, ME
2,021 residents
Schools 5.9
Safety 36/100K
Home Affordability $258,700
#10
Score 72.3
Bar Harbor, ME
2,311 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 27/100K
Home Affordability $479,600
#11
Score 71.7
Camden, ME
3,665 residents
Schools 5.9
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $473,800
#12
Score 71.6
East Millinocket, ME
1,545 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 58/100K
Home Affordability $73,900

Full Ranking, Maine

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

1 South Portland ME 80.2
2 Veazie ME 78.6
3 Hampden ME 77.7
4 Gorham ME 77.6
5 Orono ME 76.9
6 Falmouth ME 75.7
7 Old Town ME 75
8 Brewer ME 74.1
9 Thomaston ME 72.8
10 Bar Harbor ME 72.3
11 Camden ME 71.7
12 East Millinocket ME 71.6
13 Hallowell ME 71.4
14 Waldoboro ME 71.3
15 Westbrook ME 71.3
16 Rockland ME 71.1
17 Kittery ME 71.1
18 Yarmouth ME 71
19 Fort Kent ME 70
20 Lincoln ME 69.3
21 Topsham ME 69.3
22 Brunswick ME 68.9
23 Milo ME 68.6
24 Saco ME 68.6
25 South Berwick ME 68.5
26 Bucksport ME 68.2
27 Freeport ME 67.1
28 Wiscasset ME 66.8
29 Berwick ME 66.7
30 Kennebunk ME 66.7
31 Eastport ME 66.5
32 Bangor ME 66.2
33 Old Orchard Beach ME 66
34 Oakland ME 65.9
35 Bath ME 65.6
36 Madawaska ME 65.5
37 Clinton ME 65.3
38 Ellsworth ME 65.3
39 Portland ME 64.4
40 Richmond ME 63.6
41 Winthrop ME 62.7
42 North Berwick ME 62.1
43 Belfast ME 62
44 Sanford ME 61.5
45 Farmington ME 60.1
46 Damariscotta ME 59.5
47 Winslow ME 59.1
48 Lisbon ME 58.9
49 Kennebunkport ME 58.8
50 Newport ME 57.8

South Portland, ME tops the list with a composite score of 80.2 out of 100, followed by Veazie and Hampden. ME dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, 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 Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →