Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Maine

You think about moving to Maine but want to get additional information about public infrastructure, living costs, housing, safety, entertainment, nightlife and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of living in Maine in the following chapters.

Living in Maine – Overview

Advantages of Living in Maine

1. Rents are still pretty affordable in most parts of Maine
2. Property prices in most regions of Maine are still reasonably low
3. Housing shortage is not a big problem in Maine yet
4. The average person can still afford to buy a decent home in Maine outside the big cities
5. People in Maine don’t have to spend a big fraction of their income on housing
6. It’s not all about money in Maine
7. People in Maine can spend lots of time in beautiful nature
8. Maine is located at the coast
9. You can spend lots of time outdoors
10. People in Maine can exercise in a pretty natural manner
11. You will never run out of ideas regarding what to do in nature
12. You can make many nice day trips from Maine
13. Pretty decent air quality in many parts of Maine
14. Many free things to do in Maine
15. Maine may be an interesting place to retire
16. People in Maine can enjoy warm and sunny summers
17. Cold winters enable you to do winter sports in Maine
18. You can enjoy real seasons in Maine
19. Maine is a rather relaxed place
20. You will meet many tolerant people in Maine
21. Many people in Maine are friendly and helpful
22. Easy to get in touch with people in the urban regions in Maine
23. People in Maine can live a pretty original lifestyle
24. You may be able to become independent from society
25. Maine is a pretty pet-friendly region
26. Maine is a rather bicycle-friendly place
27. You can meet many honest and real people in Maine
28. You may be able to really rely on the support of your loved ones
29. Maine is not the most hectic state
30. Many recreational spaces in Maine
31. Traffic is not a big problem in most parts of Maine
32. Finding a parking lot is pretty easy
33. You may find lots of cultural diversity in the big cities of Maine
34. You can talk to many interesting people
35. Decent internet connection for most people in Maine
36. Maine is a pretty safe state
37. You may be able to see your kids grow up in a peaceful atmosphere
38. Social problems in Maine are not as severe as in many other states yet
39. Maine becomes increasingly popular all over the US
40. Maine may still be an underrated state

Rents are still pretty affordable in most parts of Maine

One advantage of living in Maine is that rents are still rather low in most parts of Maine outside the big cities and as long as you don’t want to move to the rural parts of Maine, you will find many decent places to stay at a rather affordable price level.

Property prices in most regions of Maine are still reasonably low

Also in case you don’t want to rent for the rest of your life, moving to Maine may still make sense for potential homebuyers since you will still find many homes at a rather affordable price near the big cities of Maine and may therefore not have to spend as much money on housing as people living in California or other more expensive regions on average.

Housing shortage is not a big problem in Maine yet

You should also know that housing shortage is not a big deal in most parts of Maine yet and this means that you will find enough housing options, no matter whether you are single or search for a home for a big family and you may also not have to spend as much time searching for a home as people moving to NYC or other extremely popular places.

The average person can still afford to buy a decent home in Maine outside the big cities

Another upside to living in Main is that many people are still able to afford to buy decent homes without having to financially stress themselves as much as people moving to Seattle or other regions where property prices are much higher on average.

People in Maine don’t have to spend a big fraction of their income on housing

Since property prices and rents are still reasonably low in most parts of Maine, many people also don’t have to spend a significant fraction of their income on housing yet and may have more money left to spend on other nice and important things.

It’s not all about money in Maine

In general, while money is important, it just doesn’t play the same role in Maine as in other fancier regions where you are often nothing if you are not wealthy or rich and people in Maine may care more about inner values and your character instead of what you own or your balance.

People in Maine can spend lots of time in beautiful nature

Another benefit of living in Maine is that you can also enjoy many nice lakes, forests and other beautiful places in nature where you can relax and reload your batteries while you can still have a great time with your loved ones.

Maine is located at the coast

You should also know that Maine has a broad coastline and this enables you to go swimming, surfing or doing other water sports while you could also just relax at the beach while many other people living in Chicago or other regions far away from the coast just don’t have this luxury.

You can spend lots of time outdoors

Since there are so many things to do in nature, you will also have a high incentive of spending lots of time outdoors and this can be great since you can stay in shape and can also get into a pretty good mood in general.

People in Maine can exercise in a pretty natural manner

Thanks to the many nature activities you can do in Maine, you can also exercise in a rather natural manner and burn lots of calories so you can stay fit in the long run while people in other regions with less exciting nature may rather have to go to the gym after work.

You will never run out of ideas regarding what to do in nature

In general, since you can go fishing, hunting, foraging for food, rock climbing, swimming and much more, there are just so many things to do in nature that you will never run out of ideas in this regard and if you love nature, you can just have a great time in the Maine region.

You can make many nice day trips from Maine

Since there are so many nice things to do, you can also make many nice day trips to nature reserves, national parks or other cities so you will see many different things and can make your life in Maine just much more interesting.

Pretty decent air quality in many parts of Maine

Another upside to moving to Maine is that you will also be able to enjoy pretty decent air quality and while you might not deem this to be important, you should still know that good air quality may reduce your risk of suffering from serious health conditions in the long run and you may therefore be able to stay healthy for longer compared to people living in more polluted regions.

Many free things to do in Maine

Since there are many free things to do in nature, you may also not need as much money as in other states since you can just spend your time hiking, foraging for food and so on so you will have something to do and still don’t have to spend lots of money on it.

Maine may be an interesting place to retire

Since there are many free things to do and you may not need a big budget to live a decent lifestyle if you are smart and also humble and you can enjoy many nice days in beautiful nature, Maine may also be the optimal place to retire since you may be able to spend the last chapter of your life in a pretty peaceful atmosphere.

People in Maine can enjoy warm and sunny summers

You can also enjoy warm and sunny summers in Maine which may help you get tanned and you may also feel like being on vacation for the whole summer since you can spend so many nice days at the beach.

Cold winters enable you to do winter sports in Maine

While summers in Maine are often moderately warm, winters are still pretty cold and this allows you to do winter sports of many sorts which can make your life in Maine much more interesting in the long run.

You can enjoy real seasons in Maine

Since you can relax at the beach in summer and go skiing or do other winter sports in winter, you can also enjoy real seasons in Maine and your life may just be more interesting compared to people moving to El Paso or other regions where it is pretty warm all year long and climatic diversity is just not great.

Maine is a rather relaxed place

You should also keep in mind that Maine is a rather relaxed region where you will be able to meet many laid-back people and can just have a great time together.

You will meet many tolerant people in Maine

Maine is also a pretty tolerant place and you therefore don’t have to worry about your background at all and no matter where you come from, you can just have a great time as long as you are tolerant yourself and also know how to treat people well.

Many people in Maine are friendly and helpful

Another benefit of moving to Maine is that you will also be able to meet many friendly and helpful people along the way and in case you need assistance in various parts of life, chances are you will always find someone helping you out.

Easy to get in touch with people in the urban regions in Maine

As long as you move to the urban parts of Maine, you will also find many locations and places where you can socialize with many other people and may be able to make many good friends within a rather short period of time.

People in Maine can live a pretty original lifestyle

Since Maine is surrounded by interesting nature, you will also be able to live a pretty original lifestyle since you can just get many things you need directly from nature without having to buy those things in the store, at least if you are knowledgeable about foraging for food and also willing to do some extra work.

You may be able to become independent from society

If you want to take it one step further, you may also be able to become independent from society rather quickly by becoming self-sufficient since you might be able to buy a large piece of land in the rural regions for a rather affordable price and can start growing plenty of veggies and fruits and may also want to keep farm animals to make your meal plan more balanced.

Maine is a pretty pet-friendly region

Another advantage of moving to Maine is that it is also a rather pet-friendly region where your dog and other animals will be welcome and you may also be able to meet other like-minded pet owners so you will be able to socialize in a pretty playful manner.

Maine is a rather bicycle-friendly place

You should also know that Maine is a rather bicycle-friendly region where you can get around by bike for short distances in a pretty efficient manner and may therefore be able to save lots of money on fuel and can also do good for our environment at the same time.

You can meet many honest and real people in Maine

Many people in Maine are also rather honest and genuine and while this might shock you at first, you may still learn to trust those people pretty quickly and may be able to build many stable friendships for a lifetime.

You may be able to really rely on the support of your loved ones

Since you can meet many great people in Maine, you can also make many strong social bonds and during difficult periods of your life, those people will often be there for you so you can overcome your problems and may become even stronger in the long run.

Maine is not the most hectic state

You should also know that Maine is just not the most hectic state and people are often less career-focused than in other regions and may have more time to talk to you instead of just rushing from one meeting to the other as is often the case in big economic centers.

Many recreational spaces in Maine

You will also find more than enough recreational spaces in Maine where you can relax and reload your batteries for the stressful things yet to come so you can perform at work and also in your private life in the best possible manner.

Traffic is not a big problem in most parts of Maine

Since Maine is not really crowded outside the big cities yet, traffic is also not a big deal in many regions of Maine and you may therefore be able to get from A to B in a proper manner.

Finding a parking lot is pretty easy

Since traffic is not a big problem, it is also pretty easy to find a parking lot in most areas of Maine and you therefore don’t have to spend lots of time and money in this regard.

You may find lots of cultural diversity in the big cities of Maine

While you may miss high levels of cultural diversity in many rural parts of Maine, you can still find many interesting cultural influences in the big cities which can make your life in Maine just more interesting.

You can talk to many interesting people

There are also many interesting characters you can meet in Maine and by talking to those people, you can get information on alternative ways of life and may also learn about life in general so you may become more tolerant and may also be able to grow in character in the long run.

Decent internet connection for most people in Maine

Many people in Maine also have a pretty good internet connection which enables them to work from home and also to stay up-to-date with latest developments so they may be able to adjust important decisions in real-time.

Maine is a pretty safe state

You should also not forget that Maine is a pretty safe state and thanks to pretty low crime rates, you may feel much safer in Maine compared to people moving to Detroit or other regions where crime is a much bigger problem.

You may be able to see your kids grow up in a peaceful atmosphere

Since Maine is a pretty safe state, you may also be able to raise your kids in a rather peaceful atmosphere and your kids may not be confronted with unpleasant things of big city life as early as kids growing up in bigger metropolitan regions.

Social problems in Maine are not as severe as in many other states yet

You should also know that while the gap between the poor and the rich is increasing in Maine, it is still not as severe as in many other places in the US and social cohesion may still be stronger in Maine.

Maine becomes increasingly popular all over the US

While Maine is not the most popular state in the US yet, it still becomes more popular since many people consider moving to Maine and once this happens, you will be able to enjoy even more different cultural influences which may make your life much better in general.

Maine may still be an underrated state

Since there are so many nice things to experience in Maine while housing costs are still rather low outside the big cities, moving to Maine may also make sense for you and Maine may be considered underrated for people who love nature and don’t need big city life to get happy in the long run.

As you can see, there are many reasons for moving to Maine.

Yet, there are also some drawbacks of living in Maine that I want to discuss for you in the following so you will be better able to decide whether you still want to move to Maine or rather want to move to Arizona or other interesting regions instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Maine

1. Cold winters may become annoying in Maine
2. Maine is not the most popular region for international tourists
3. Pretty high living costs in Maine
4. Property prices and rents are about to increase in Maine
5. You often have to make really good money to afford a decent lifestyle in Maine
6. Income levels are rather low compared to living costs in Maine
7. High overall financial pressure for many people living in Maine
8. Many people in Maine are no longer able to live the American dream
9. You may not be able to save enough money for retirement
10. Many people in Maine have to go into debt sooner or later
11. Unemployment rate in Maine is rather high
12. Many low-qualified people have a hard time finding decent jobs
13. Hard to build a strong business network in Maine
14. Maine may become increasingly expensive in the future
15. Maine may become increasingly crowded
16. Nature in Maine become increasingly polluted
17. Maine may get hit by natural disasters sooner or later
18. Climate change may lead to increasing costs for homeowners insurance
19. Maine may not be the most popular region
20. Limited entertainment options outside of the big cities of Maine
21. Nightlife is not great in many parts of Maine
22. You may get bored with your life in Maine in the long run
23. Moving to Maine may not be great if you don’t like nature
24. Rather poor public transport in many parts of Maine
25. People who don’t have a car in Maine may just not be mobile enough
26. Distances may be pretty long outside the big cities of Maine
27. Hard to find cultural diversity outside of the big cities of Maine
28. You may not find as many exciting foods as in many other states
29. Limited number of great museums in Maine
30. You may miss a great art scene in Maine
31. Not as many great shopping opportunities as in bigger metropolitan regions
32. Maine may not be the greatest place for students

Cold winters may become annoying in Maine

One downside to living in Maine is that you would have to deal with pretty cold winters and if you are the kind of person who just loves the heat all year long, you may be far better off moving to Austin or other regions with far milder winters.

Maine is not the most popular region for international tourists

You should also know that Maine is not the most popular tourist destination on a global scale and while people living in Los Angeles may be able to meet many tourists from all over the world, you would have a much harder time in the Maine region.

Pretty high living costs in Maine

You should also not forget that living costs in Maine are pretty high compared to the rest of the US and you may therefore have to spend more money on drinks and many other things compared to people living in Minneapolis or other cheaper regions.

Property prices and rents are about to increase in Maine

While property prices and rents are still affordable in many regions of Maine, you should still know that housing costs have increased substantially over the past decades and in case this trend continues, you may have a hard time buying a home in the future.

You often have to make really good money to afford a decent lifestyle in Maine

Since Maine is a rather expensive state, you may also need to make pretty good money to afford a decent lifestyle in this region and you may therefore have to work many extra hours to enjoy your dream life.

Income levels are rather low compared to living costs in Maine

Another problem with living in Maine is that living costs are also pretty high compared to the average income and this means that many people have trouble paying their bills since they simply don’t make enough money to afford nice things in this region.

High overall financial pressure for many people living in Maine

Due to rather high living costs, many people in Maine also have to deal with significant financial pressure and may have to worry about financial problems quite often while people in less expensive regions often have a more relaxed time from a financial point of view.

Many people in Maine are no longer able to live the American dream

Since living in Maine has become increasingly expensive over the past years and decades, many people are no longer able to live the American dream in this region and may not get happy in the long run while people living in Columbus or other cheaper regions may have an easier time affording a decent lifestyle.

You may not be able to save enough money for retirement

Since many people in Maine don’t make really good money from what they are doing while living costs are pretty high, many of them may also not be able to save enough money for retirement and may suffer from serious old-age poverty.

Many people in Maine have to go into debt sooner or later

Another disadvantage of living in Maine is that you may also have to get into debt sooner or later since you may just not be able to make enough money from your job to pay your bills and may get into serious financial trouble sooner or later.

Unemployment rate in Maine is rather high

You should also be aware of the fact that unemployment rate in Maine is above national average and you may therefore have to worry about losing your job quite often which may make it hard to plan your life and may also greatly lower your overall quality of life in general.

Many low-qualified people have a hard time finding decent jobs

Especially if you don’t have solid education, you may have a really hard time finding and keeping a decent job in Maine since you might be replaceable pretty easily and the number of jobs you might be able to do may be rather limited.

Hard to build a strong business network in Maine

Another downside to moving to Maine is that you may also have a rather hard time building a strong business network since many talented and ambitious people just move to bigger metropolitan regions sooner or later and you may therefore not meet as many influential people as in other states and your career progress may therefore be slower as well.

Maine may become increasingly expensive in the future

Since Maine becomes increasingly popular by people from all over the US, demand for housing may also increase significantly which may lead to increasing rents, property prices and may make your life in Maine just even more expensive in general.

Maine may become increasingly crowded

You should also know that Maine becomes increasingly crowded and if this trend continues, you may no longer have enough space for yourself in public and also traffic may become a bigger problem which may lower overall quality of life quite a lot.

Nature in Maine become increasingly polluted

Another problem with moving to Maine is that many people just don’t care about keeping nature clean and just dispose of their waste in natural habitats which may lead to serious pollution in the long run and may make nature less attractive which may lower overall quality of life as well.

Maine may get hit by natural disasters sooner or later

Another disadvantage of moving to Maine is that the region may also get hit by storms, floods or other natural disasters and you may therefore lose everything you have and may even lose your life if you are unlucky during one of those extreme events.

Climate change may lead to increasing costs for homeowners insurance

Since climate change may make natural disasters in Maine more common, also the costs of homeowners insurance may increase substantially which may lead to a state where you might no longer be able to afford it and in case you get hit by natural disasters, you may get into serious financial trouble and may no longer be able to rebuild your home.

Maine may not be the most popular region

While Maine becomes increasingly popular, it is still not the most popular state in the US yet and your loved ones may therefore not understand your decision of moving to Maine and you may have to justify quite a lot in this regard.

Limited entertainment options outside of the big cities of Maine

While you may find many nice things to do in the urban parts of Maine, you may just not find as many exciting things to do in the rural regions and may therefore run out of options regarding what to do in case you don’t like nature.

Nightlife is not great in many parts of Maine

It is also pretty hard to find many great bars and clubs in the Maine region and in case you are a party person, you may just not get happy with nightlife in many regions of Maine in the long run.

You may get bored with your life in Maine in the long run

If you need action 24/7, you may also not get happy with your life in Maine since it is just not the most vibrant place and you might be better off moving to Las Vegas or other more exciting places.

Moving to Maine may not be great if you don’t like nature

In general, you should ask yourself whether you really like nature and will be fine spending your life in a rather quiet atmosphere or if you rather need big city life to become happy in the long run since in case you belong to the second group of people, you may just not get satisfied with the Maine lifestyle.

Rather poor public transport in many parts of Maine

You should also not expect to find really great public transport in most parts of Maine and may have a rather hard time getting around by bus or other means of public transportation in an efficient manner.

People who don’t have a car in Maine may just not be mobile enough

In case you are not able to drive a car due to various possible reasons, you may also not be mobile enough to manage your life in an efficient manner since you might often lose lots of time getting from A to B.

Distances may be pretty long outside the big cities of Maine

Outside of the major cities of Maine, distances can also be quite long and you may have to drive for quite a while until you find decent doctors or many other things you might need on a regular basis and this may become really annoying and may eat up a lot of time in the long run.

Hard to find cultural diversity outside of the big cities of Maine

While you may find many different cultural influences in the big cities of Maine, you may still miss cultural diversity in the rural regions of Maine and may also not be able to meet as many interesting people as in many other states.

You may not find as many exciting foods as in many other states

Since cultural diversity is rather limited in many parts of Maine, you may also not find as many great foods from all over the world as in more culturally diverse places which may make your life less interesting and may also lower your overall quality of life.

Limited number of great museums in Maine

You should also not expect to find many great museums in Maine and may run out of options in this regard pretty quickly, especially if you live in rural parts of the state.

You may miss a great art scene in Maine

You will also have a hard time finding a great art scene in Maine and if you are an artist and want to hang out with many other like-minded people, you may be better off moving to New Orleans or other regions where art plays a bigger role.

Not as many great shopping opportunities as in bigger metropolitan regions

Also in case you are a fashion victim and want to follow latest fashion trends, Maine may not be the optional state for you since the selection of fancy boutiques and shopping malls may be rather limited in many regions.

Maine may not be the greatest place for students

Since Maine is a rather expensive place and you will also not find as many exciting things to do as in many other bigger metropolitan regions, it may also not be the best place for students and you may be better off studying in Chicago or other more vibrant places.

Top 10 Moving To Maine Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Maine A Good Place To Live?

While Maine can be a great place to live since you will find many beautiful places in nature and can also meet many interesting people and it is a rather safe state, you should still know that living costs in Maine are rather high compared to the average income and many people struggle to pay their bills in this region.

In the end, it is on you to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of moving to Maine carefully so you can make the best possible decision in this regard according to your individual circumstances.

Most Popular Cities To Live In Maine – Comparison

Alternative States To Live

If you no longer want to move to Maine, you may also want to have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Louisiana

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Kansas

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Kentucky

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/ME

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.