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Augusta, Maine downtownAugusta, the state capital · Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Maine · 143 graded towns

Towns and cities in Maine

33 of Maine’s 143 graded towns and cities (23%) grade A− or better nationally, against 25% of U.S. towns. Cumberland ranks first in the state with an A+; safety (A+) and jobs & income (A+) are its strongest grades; cost of living (D) is its lowest.

Letters are national: the overall grade blends cost of living, safety, schools, health, jobs & income, walkability and hazard risk. How grades work

How Maine compares: report cardBest places to liveBest small townsMost affordable townsSafest townsTowns with the best schoolsHealthiest towns
143
towns of 2,500+ with an overall grade
33
grade A− or better nationally
0
of 2,500+ without enough data for a grade
142
smaller places (1,000–2,499) with subject grades
Towns by letter
A+3A11A−19B+13B16B−13C+11C17C−19D17D−4

All 143 graded towns

Every town of 2,500+ residents with an overall grade, A to Z. The rank is among 142 Maine towns on the best places to live list.

143 graded towns, A to Z.

Sort:
  1. B−ActonYork County#68 of 1422,735
  2. B−AlfredYork County#63 of 1423,188
  3. A−ArundelYork County#23 of 1424,596
  4. DAuburnAndroscoggin County#126 of 14225,441
  5. D−AugustaKennebec County#140 of 14219,155
  6. C−BangorPenobscot County#109 of 14232,518
  7. A−Bar HarborHancock County#18 of 1425,352
  8. B+BathSagadahoc County#36 of 1428,835
  9. B−BelfastWaldo County#66 of 1426,988
  10. B+BelgradeKennebec County#45 of 1423,541
  11. C−BentonKennebec County#103 of 1422,821
  12. BBerwickYork County#55 of 1428,436
  13. DBethelOxford County#134 of 1422,751
  14. C−BiddefordYork County#115 of 14222,399
  15. BBlue HillHancock County#47 of 1422,798
  16. B−BoothbayLincoln County#73 of 1423,155
  17. B+BowdoinSagadahoc County#41 of 1423,254
  18. C+BowdoinhamSagadahoc County#80 of 1423,210
  19. CBrewerPenobscot County#101 of 1429,636
  20. C−BridgtonCumberland County#116 of 1425,965
  21. A−BristolLincoln County#14 of 1422,969
  22. A−BrunswickCumberland County#24 of 14223,055
  23. B−BucksportHancock County#70 of 1425,066
  24. A−BuxtonYork County#31 of 1428,681
  25. C+CalaisWashington County#85 of 1423,083
  26. A−CamdenKnox County#28 of 1425,204
  27. A+Cape ElizabethCumberland County#3 of 1429,827
  28. C+CaribouAroostook County#83 of 1427,321
  29. C−CarmelPenobscot County#111 of 1423,031
  30. C−CascoCumberland County#106 of 1423,779
  31. BChelseaKennebec County#51 of 1422,848
  32. A−ChinaKennebec County#17 of 1424,636
  33. B−ClintonKennebec County#72 of 1423,378
  34. CCorinthPenobscot County#90 of 1423,139
  35. A+CumberlandCumberland County#1 of 1428,876
  36. C−DexterPenobscot County#113 of 1423,874
  37. B−Dover-FoxcroftPiscataquis County#74 of 1424,463
  38. BDurhamAndroscoggin County#50 of 1424,399
  39. AEliotYork County#11 of 1427,643
  40. C+EllsworthHancock County#75 of 1428,862
  41. C−FairfieldSomerset County#121 of 1426,537
  42. AFalmouthCumberland County#4 of 14212,982
  43. CFarmingdaleKennebec County#93 of 1423,000
  44. CFarmingtonFranklin County#99 of 1428,258
  45. DFort FairfieldAroostook County#127 of 1423,285
  46. BFort KentAroostook County#59 of 1424,151
  47. AFreeportCumberland County#9 of 1428,934
  48. CFryeburgOxford County#98 of 1423,576
  49. C+GardinerKennebec County#82 of 1426,206
  50. C+GlenburnPenobscot County#77 of 1424,825
  51. A+GorhamCumberland County#2 of 14219,239
  52. BGrayCumberland County#60 of 1428,676
  53. C−GreeneAndroscoggin County#117 of 1424,551
  54. A−HallowellKennebec County#27 of 1422,624
  55. A−HampdenPenobscot County#16 of 1428,078
  56. C−HancockHancock County#112 of 1422,593
  57. B+HarpswellCumberland County#34 of 1425,102
  58. DHarrisonCumberland County#136 of 1422,639
  59. C+HermonPenobscot County#84 of 1426,982
  60. B+HoldenPenobscot County#37 of 1423,438
  61. BHollisYork County#61 of 1425,003
  62. C−HoultonAroostook County#114 of 1426,056
  63. CJayFranklin County#87 of 1424,639
  64. B−JeffersonLincoln County#65 of 1422,728
  65. AKennebunkYork County#10 of 14212,152
  66. A−KennebunkportYork County#25 of 1423,717
  67. B+KitteryYork County#43 of 14211,420
  68. B−LebanonYork County#64 of 1426,801
  69. DLevantPenobscot County#130 of 1423,289
  70. DLewistonAndroscoggin County#138 of 14238,866
  71. BLimerickYork County#49 of 1423,575
  72. BLimingtonYork County#57 of 1424,173
  73. B−LincolnPenobscot County#69 of 1424,971
  74. B−LisbonAndroscoggin County#62 of 1429,919
  75. CLitchfieldKennebec County#91 of 1423,797
  76. D−Livermore FallsAndroscoggin County#141 of 1423,229
  77. B+LymanYork County#44 of 1424,713
  78. C+MadawaskaAroostook County#76 of 1423,846
  79. C−MadisonSomerset County#110 of 1424,888
  80. CMechanic FallsAndroscoggin County#100 of 1423,286
  81. DMexicoOxford County#131 of 1422,779
  82. C+MilfordPenobscot County#79 of 1423,117
  83. C−MillinocketPenobscot County#108 of 1424,095
  84. CMinotAndroscoggin County#97 of 1422,866
  85. BMonmouthKennebec County#46 of 1424,252
  86. C−NaplesCumberland County#107 of 1424,128
  87. ANew GloucesterCumberland County#13 of 1425,964
  88. C−NewportPenobscot County#120 of 1423,192
  89. D−NorridgewockSomerset County#142 of 1423,304
  90. B+North BerwickYork County#38 of 1425,355
  91. A−North YarmouthCumberland County#15 of 1424,424
  92. DNorwayOxford County#133 of 1425,349
  93. B+OaklandKennebec County#33 of 1426,361
  94. COld Orchard BeachYork County#89 of 1429,533
  95. C−Old TownPenobscot County#105 of 1427,589
  96. AOronoPenobscot CountyCollege campus12,421
  97. BOrringtonPenobscot County#56 of 1423,912
  98. DOxfordOxford County#132 of 1424,449
  99. DParisOxford County#122 of 1425,409
  100. DPittsfieldSomerset County#124 of 1423,935
  101. CPittstonKennebec County#92 of 1423,418
  102. C−PolandAndroscoggin County#118 of 1426,098
  103. CPortlandCumberland County#102 of 14269,911
  104. DPresque IsleAroostook County#125 of 1428,694
  105. ARaymondCumberland County#5 of 1424,670
  106. A−ReadfieldKennebec County#29 of 1422,730
  107. B+RichmondSagadahoc County#40 of 1423,609
  108. CRocklandKnox County#94 of 1427,142
  109. A−RockportKnox County#26 of 1423,628
  110. D−RumfordOxford County#139 of 1426,025
  111. BSabattusAndroscoggin County#58 of 1425,397
  112. A−SacoYork County#22 of 14221,159
  113. C−SanfordYork County#104 of 14222,663
  114. AScarboroughCumberland County#12 of 14224,547
  115. DSearsportWaldo County#129 of 1422,737
  116. BShapleighYork County#53 of 1423,025
  117. CSidneyKennebec County#95 of 1424,929
  118. DSkowheganSomerset County#128 of 1428,676
  119. A−South BerwickYork County#20 of 1427,941
  120. BSouth PortlandCumberland County#52 of 14227,007
  121. CSt. GeorgeKnox County#86 of 1422,595
  122. B+StandishCumberland County#35 of 14211,000
  123. DThomastonKnox County#123 of 1422,751
  124. A−TopshamSagadahoc County#30 of 1429,982
  125. B+TurnerAndroscoggin County#42 of 1426,127
  126. DVassalboroKennebec County#135 of 1424,647
  127. BWaldoboroLincoln County#54 of 1425,324
  128. C+WarrenKnox County#81 of 1425,099
  129. B+WaterboroYork County#39 of 1428,219
  130. DWatervilleKennebec County#137 of 14217,579
  131. A−WellsYork County#32 of 14212,094
  132. B−West GardinerKennebec County#71 of 1423,678
  133. C+WestbrookCumberland County#78 of 14221,565
  134. CWiltonFranklin County#96 of 1423,878
  135. AWindhamCumberland County#6 of 14219,912
  136. B−WindsorKennebec County#67 of 1422,758
  137. CWinslowKennebec County#88 of 1428,063
  138. A−WinterportWaldo County#21 of 1423,838
  139. BWinthropKennebec County#48 of 1426,158
  140. C−WiscassetLincoln County#119 of 1423,998
  141. A−WoolwichSagadahoc County#19 of 1423,287
  142. AYarmouthCumberland County#8 of 1429,062
  143. AYorkYork County#7 of 14214,293
Also in Maine

Not on the ranked list

College campuses

Graded like every town, but left off the best-places lists: more than half the residents are college students (ACS), so its figures mostly describe student life. They appear on the subject lists with a “College campus” label.

  • AOrono Penobscot County · 56% college students

Not graded

Every Maine town of 2,500+ residents has an overall grade.

Smaller places 142 with 1,000–2,499 residents

These have subject grades (safety, schools, health and the rest) but no overall grade or rank: the overall starts at 2,500 residents.

Go deeper

Lists in Maine

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Maine rankings →
Best places to live142 towns · #1 CumberlandBest small towns121 towns · #1 CumberlandMost affordable towns143 towns · #1 MillinocketSafest towns78 towns · #1 RichmondTowns with the best schools142 towns · #1 Cape ElizabethHealthiest towns143 towns · #1 Cape ElizabethBest towns for jobs & income143 towns · #1 CumberlandMost walkable towns143 towns · #1 PortlandTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk143 towns · #1 BridgtonBest towns for the outdoors143 towns · #1 Bar Harbor and CamdenMost historic towns143 towns · #1 HallowellTowns with the most civic life143 towns · #1 CamdenTowns with the least snow141 towns · #1 BerwickDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns141 towns · #1 CaribouDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters170 towns · #1 KitteryDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers170 towns · #1 South Berwick and South BerwickDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers170 towns · #1 St. GeorgeDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes143 towns · #1 CumberlandDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes143 towns · #1 CorinthDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns141 towns · #1 PittstonDescribed, no lettersTowns with the most-used libraries97 towns · #1 CamdenDescribed, no letters