County Information
Living in Maine offers a high quality of life defined by a slow pace, stunning natural scenery (coastlines, forests, and mountains), and a strong sense of community, making it a top choice for those seeking a safe, nature-focused lifestyle. Key perks include unparalleled access to outdoor recreation, charming coastal towns, and a renowned culinary scene centered on local seafood.
Best Things About Living in Maine:
Lower Cost of Living (Relative to New England): While housing costs have increased, the overall cost of living remains more affordable compared to neighboring New England states.
Unmatched Natural Beauty: With over 3,500 miles of coastline, 4,600+ islands, and vast forests covering 90% of the state, Maine offers exceptional opportunities for hiking, kayaking, and enjoying nature.
Safety and Community: Maine is frequently ranked as one of the safest states in the U.S.. Many areas have a tight-knit community feel with friendly, respectful residents.
Outdoor Lifestyle: Residents enjoy four distinct seasons, including beautiful, mild summers and snowy winters that allow for hiking, boating, skiing, and snowmobiling.
Slower Pace of Life: The state offers a much-needed break from the “hustle and bustle” of large cities, ideal for those seeking a peaceful, relaxed, and sometimes rural environment.
Culinary and Coastal Charm: Famous for its fresh lobster, seafood, and locally sourced food, Maine’s, particularly its coastal towns (e.g., Bar Harbor, Rockland), offer unique dining and scenic views.
Vibrant Small Cities: Places like Portland provide a vibrant, walkable urban experience with great restaurants, breweries, and culture while maintaining a small-town feel.
Androscoggin
SIZE: 459 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1854
COUNTY SEAT: Auburn
POPULATION: 111,139
CITIES: Auburn, and Lewiston.
TOWNS: Durham, Greene, Leeds, Lisbon, Livermore, Livermore Falls, Mechanic Falls, Minot, Poland, Sabattus, Turner and Wales.
Aroostook
SIZE: 6,453 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1839
COUNTY SEAT: Houlton
POPULATION: 67,105
CITIES: Caribou, Presque Isle
TOWNS: Allagash, Amity, Ashland, Bancroft, Blaine, Bridgewater, Castle Hill, Caswell, Chapman, Crystal, Dyer Brook, Eagle Lake, Easton, Fort Fairfield, Fort Kent, Frenchville, Grand Isle, Hamlin, Hammond, Haynesville, Hersey, Hodgdon, Houlton, Island Falls, Limestone, Linneus, Littleton, Ludlow, Madawaska, Mapleton, Mars Hill, Masardis, Merrill, Monticello, New Canada, New Limerick, New Sweden, Oakfield, Orient, Perham, Portage Lake, Saint Agatha, Saint Francis, Sherman, Smyrna, Stockholm, Van Buren, Wade, Washburn, Westfield, Westmanland, Weston, and Woodland.
Cumberland
SIZE: 853 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1760
COUNTY SEAT: Portland
POPULATION: 303,069
CITIES: Portland, South Portland, and Westbrook
TOWNS: Baldwin, Bridgton, Brunswick, Cape Elizabeth, Casco, Cumberland, Falmouth, Freeport, Gorham, Gray, Harpswell, Harrison, Naples, New Gloucester, North Yarmouth, Pownal, Raymond, Scarborough, Sebago, Standish, Windham, and Yarmouth.
Franklin
SIZE: 1,789 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1838
COUNTY SEAT: Farmington
POPULATION: 29,456
TOWNS: Avon, Carrabassett Valley, Carthage, Chesterville, Eustis, Farmington, Industry, Jay, Kingfield, Madrid, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Phillips, Rangeley, Strong, Temple, Weld and Wilton.
PLANTATIONS: Coplin, Dallas, Rangeley and Sandy River.
Hancock
SIZE: 1,522 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1789
COUNTY SEAT: Ellsworth
POPULATION: 55,478
CITY: Ellsworth
TOWNS: Amherst, Aurora, Bar Harbor, Blue Hill, Brooklin, Brooksvile, Bucksport, Castine, Cranberry Isles, Dedham, Deer Isle, Eastbrook, Franklin, Frenchboro, Gouldsboro, Great Pond, Hancock, Lamoine, Mariaville, Mount Desert, Orland, Osborn, Otis, Penobscot, Sedgwick, Sorrento, Southwest Harbor, Stonington, Sullivan, Surry, Swans Island, Tremont, Trenton, Verona, Waltham and Winter Harbor.
Kennebec
SIZE: 879 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1799
COUNTY SEAT: Augusta
POPULATION: 123,642
CITIES: Augusta, Gardiner, Hallowell and Waterville.
TOWNS: Albion, Belgrade, Benton, Chelsea, China, Clinton, Farmingdale, Fayette, Litchfield, Manchester, Monmouth, Mount Vernon, Oakland, Pittston, Randolph, Readfield, Rome, Sidney, Vassalboro, Vienna, Wayne, West Gardiner, Windsor, Winslow and Winthrop.
Knox
SIZE: 374 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1860
COUNTY SEAT: Rockland
POPULATION: 40,607
CITY: Rockland
TOWNS: Appleton, Camden, Cushing, Friendship, Hope, Isle au Haut, North Haven, Owls Head, Rockport, St. George, South Thomaston, Thomaston, Union, Vinalhaven, Warren and Washington.
PLANTATION: Matinicus Island
Lincoln
SIZE: 457 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1760
COUNTY SEAT: Wiscassett
POPULATION: 35,237
TOWNS: Alna, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Bremen, Bristol, Damariscotta, Dresden, Edgecomb, Jefferson, Newcastle, Nobleboro, Somerville, South Bristol, Southport, Waldoboro, Westport, Whitefield and Wiscasset.
PLANTATION: Monhegan.
Oxford
SIZE: 2,023 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1805
COUNTY SEAT: Paris
POPULATION: 57,777
TOWNS: Andover, Bethel, Brownfield, Buckfield, Byron, Canton, Denmark, Dixfield, Fryeburg, Gilead, Greenwood, Hanover, Hartford, Hebron, Hiram, Lovell, Mexico, Newry, Norway, Otisfield, Oxford, Paris, Peru, Porter, Roxbury, Rumford, Stoneham, Stowe, Sumner, Sweden, Upton, Waterford, West Paris and Woodstock.
PLANTATIONS: Lincoln and Magalloway.
Penobscot
SIZE: 3,258 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1816
COUNTY SEAT: Bangor
POPULATION: 1152,199
CITIES: Bangor, Brewer and Old Town.
TOWNS: Alton, Bradford, Bradley, Burlington, Carmel, Charleston, Chester, Clifton, Corinna, Corinth, Dexter, Dixmont, East Millinocket, Eddington, Edinburg, Enfield, Etna, Exeter, Garland, Glenburn, Greenbush, Greenfield, Hampden, Hermon, Holden, Howland, Hudson, Indian Island, Kenduskeag, Lagrange, Lakeville, Lee, Levant, Lincoln, Lowell, Mattawamkeag, Maxfield, Medway, Milford, Millinocket, Mount Chase, Newburgh, Newport, Orono, Orrington, Passadumkeag, Patten, Plymouth, Springfield, Stacyville, Stetson, Veazie, Winn and Woodville.
PLANTATIONS: Carroll, Drew, Prentiss, Sebois and Webster.
Piscataquis
SIZE: 3,770 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1838
COUNTY SEAT: Dover-Foxcroft
POPULATION: 16,800
TOWNS: Abbott, Atkinson, Beaver Cove, Bowerbank, Brownville, Dover-Foxcroft, Greenville, Guilford, Medford, Milo, Monson, Parkman, Sangerville, Sebec, Shirley, Wellington and Willimantic.
PLANTATIONS: Kingsbury and Lake View.
Sagadahoc
SIZE: 250 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1854
COUNTY SEAT: Bath
POPULATION: 36,699
CITY: Bath
TOWNS: Arrowsic, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Georgetown, Phippsburg, Richmond, Topsham, West Bath and Woolwich.
Somerset
SIZE: 3,633 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1809
COUNTY SEAT: Skowhegan
POPULATION: 50,477
TOWNS: Anson, Athens, Bingham, Cambridge, Canaan, Cornville, Detroit, Embden, Fairfield, Harmony, Hartland, Jackman, Madison, Mercer, Moose River, Moscow, New Portland, Norridgewock, Palmyra, Pittsfield, Ripley, Saint Albans, Skowhegan, Smithfield, Solon and Starks.
PLANTATIONS: Brighton, Caratunk, Dennistown, Highland, Pleasant Ridge, The Forks and West Forks.
Waldo
SIZE: 724 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1827
COUNTY SEAT: Belfast
POPULATION: 39,607
CITY: Belfast
TOWNS: Belmont, Brooks, Burnham, Frankfort, Freedom, Islesboro, Jackson, Knox, Liberty, Lincolnville, Monroe, Montville, Morrill, Northport, Palermo, Prospect, Searsmont, Searsport, Stockton Springs, Swanville, Thorndike, Troy, Unity, Waldo and
Winterport.
Washington
SIZE: 2,528 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1789
COUNTY SEAT: Machias
POPULATION: 31,095
CITIES: Calais and Eastport.
TOWNS: Addison, Alexander, Baileyville, Beals, Beddington, Centerville, Charlotte, Cherryfield, Columbia, Columbia Falls, Cooper, Crawford, Cutler, Danforth, Deblois, Dennysville, East Machias, Harrington, Indian Township, Jonesboro, Jonesport, Lubec, Machais, Machiasport, Marshfield, Meddybemps, Milbridge, Northfield, Pembroke, Perry, Princeton, Robbinston, Roque Bluffs, Steuben, Talmadge, Topsfield, Vanceboro, Waite, Wesley, Whiting and Whitneyville.
PLANTATIONS: Baring, Codyville and Grand Lake Stream.
York
SIZE: 989 square miles
INCORPORATED: 1636
COUNTY SEAT: Alfred
POPULATION: 211,972
CITIES: Biddeford, Sanford, Saco
TOWNS: Acton, Alfred, Arundel, Berwick, Buxton, Cornish, Dayton, Eliot, Hollis, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Kittery, Lebanon, Limerick, Limington, Lyman, Newfield, North Berwick, Ogunquit, Old Orchard Beach, Parsonsfield, Shapleigh, South Berwick, Waterboro, Wells and York.
Information obtained from: https://www.maine.gov/dafs/economist/census-information