Maine
Everything to consider when buying a home in Maine’s metro areas
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Extra folks than ever wish to purchase a house in Maine. Whether or not you’re from out of state or trying to transfer inside Maine, there are a number of issues you possibly can have a look at earlier than selecting the place to reside.
Most Mainers reside in certainly one of 4 metropolitan and micropolitan areas throughout the state: the Augusta-Waterville micropolitan space, Bangor metro, Lewiston-Auburn metro and the Portland-South Portland metro. We checked out how every of them ranks on varied metrics.
Housing Value
Most Costly Housing Prices: Portland
Least Costly Housing Prices: Bangor
Monetary concerns are sometimes the main traits of homebuying, and the completely different areas of Maine range considerably.
It’s no secret that purchasing a house within the Portland space is not any simple activity. Though the housing market seems to be cooling statewide, the provision remains to be low and demand excessive in and round Portland. These components add as much as make it by far the most costly place in Maine to purchase a house. The median home is valued at over $466,000, in accordance with Zillow information for April.
That’s virtually $200,000 greater than the subsequent most costly space, Lewiston-Auburn, the place the median house is value $285,000.
The Augusta-Waterville metro’s median house is value $264,000. A house within the Augusta space was cheaper than within the Bangor metro at first of 2000 however that’s modified. Houses close to the state capital have by no means been pricier than right this moment.
Houses within the Bangor metro space are the most cost effective at a median worth of $235,000, with some particularly low cost locations nearer to Aroostook County.
Inhabitants/Density
Most Populous: Portland
Least Populous: Lewiston-Auburn
Most Densely-Populated: Portland
Least Densely-Populated: Bangor
The Portland metro has the most individuals, with 552,000 as of 2020, in accordance with U.S. Census information. That’s way over the opposite three areas mixed and accounts for over 40 p.c of the state’s inhabitants.
Match inside 2,100 sq. miles, that makes it probably the most densely populated metro or micro space in Maine with 265 folks per sq. mile. Although considerably smaller than close by metros like Boston and New York Metropolis, it stays the perfect place for somebody who needs the hustle and bustle of metropolis life inside Maine
Although the least populous of the 4 areas, the Lewiston metro is just not far off with its 111,000 folks, with a density of 237 folks per sq. mile. Augusta follows with its inhabitants of 124,000, or 143 folks per sq. mile.
Bangor is by far the least dense at simply 45 folks per sq. mile, making it six occasions much less dense than the Portland space. Although it has 152,000 folks, greater than the Lewiston and Augusta metro and micro areas, the Bangor metro is a big 3,400 sq. miles.
Not like the Portland metro space, there’s a substantial part of land close to Bangor that’s primarily undeveloped, together with Penobscot County’s huge unorganized territories. The Bangor space is the very best guess for a household that desires entry to a reasonably rural group whereas gaining access to a major Maine service heart in Bangor.
Financial Alternative
Highest Median Family Revenue: Portland
Lowest Median Family Revenue: Bangor
Portland is the financial capital of Maine, and it’s unmatched when it comes to financial alternative. The Portland metro has by far the best median family revenue of $73,000 and the bottom poverty charge of 8.1 p.c. Typical incomes within the metropolis of Portland itself are greater than $10,000 decrease than throughout the Portland metro space, in accordance to 2020 American Group Survey information.
Median family incomes within the state’s three different metro and micropolitan areas are pretty related at $55,400 in Augusta-Waterville, $55,000 in Lewiston-Auburn and $52,000 in Bangor. Although Bangor’s is the bottom, there are nonetheless quite a few high-paying jobs with quite a few profitable blue-collar and white-collar professionals throughout the metro space.
Crime
Most violent crime per capita: Lewiston-Auburn
Least violent crime per capita: Bangor
Everybody needs to reside in a spot that’s secure, and it’s a consideration that can undoubtedly go into the place one chooses to reside.
Nationwide reviews have typically estimated that Maine is likely one of the most secure states within the nation, and it’s generally given the moniker of “most secure state within the U.S.” However there are sections that see larger instances of crimes in comparison with others.
The Bangor metro has by far the bottom charge of violent crime for any metro or micro space within the state, in accordance with FBI statistics from 2019 for a number of communities in every metro – the latest numbers available by municipality. Its charge of 6.9 violent crimes per 10,000 folks was practically half of Portland’s charge of 13.8 and fewer than one-third of Lewison’s 21.8 charge. Augusta’s charge was 17.8 per 10,000, above Portland’s however beneath Lewiston’s.
Different crimes can rely extra on the group. For instance, property crimes had been commonest in Bangor whereas Portland had a barely larger charge of aggravated assault than Augusta.
Value of Residing
Highest value of residing: Portland
Lowest value of residing: Augusta-Waterville
Of the 4 main cities making up the metro and micro areas, Portland has by far the best value of residing, in accordance with BestPlaces.web, which tracks the price of residing for communities throughout the USA. That statistic contains the price of groceries, well being care, housing, utilities and transportation.
Portland is the one one of many 4 metro hubs that has a value of residing larger than the nationwide common, by 8 p.c. The following-highest value of residing was town of Lewiston, though it’s 15 p.c beneath the nationwide common, adopted by Bangor at 17 p.c beneath and Augusta at 19 p.c beneath.
Portland had the priciest groceries, Lewiston the priciest transportation and Bangor the most costly utilities and well being care.