German Church and Cemetery · Public domainMeasured against area pay, Waldoboro costs less to live in than 59% of U.S. towns
It ranks #25 of 143 in Maine for affordability. Down 0.9% in a year, 18% below the Maine typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Lincoln County, ME ($77K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Lincoln County earn ($77K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 3.6 years of area income, and 20% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $336Ktypical home, 18% below the Maine typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,270a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.6 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$77K, Lincoln County income
- 5%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 20%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Maine: 48%Census 2020–24
- 29%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Waldoboro, in brief
Rent is easier on renters here
20% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 48% across Maine. A standard two-bedroom is 22% of the median household income. Renting ↓
New renters pay more than renters already here
HUD puts a standard two-bedroom at about $1,270 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already in Waldoboro pay a median of $348. Renting ↓
A median income doesn’t stretch to the towns next door
At Waldoboro’s median income, the calculator’s budget of about $263K covers neither the typical home here ($336K) nor in any of the seven neighboring towns. The least expensive is Warren at $342K. Can I afford it? ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025 (2025 partly estimated); incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Waldoboro’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Waldoboro is more affordable than 59% of U.S. towns, #25 of 143 in Maine. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Maine: up 23.0% in five years, against 26.8% statewide (Zillow).
Up 23% in five years
Slower than Maine (26.8%).
Show as a table
| January | Waldoboro | Maine |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $169,000 | $205,000 |
| 2018 | $175,000 | $219,000 |
| 2019 | $184,000 | $232,000 |
| 2020 | $199,000 | $244,000 |
| 2021 | $236,000 | $285,000 |
| 2022 | $282,000 | $333,000 |
| 2023 | $313,000 | $364,000 |
| 2024 | $328,000 | $395,000 |
| 2025 | $349,000 | $408,000 |
| 2026 | $339,000 | $409,000 |
| September 2026 | $336,000 | $412,000 |
A typical Waldoboro home worth $166K in October 2016 is worth about $336K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A year’s rent takes 5% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Waldoboro’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $42K short of a typical Waldoboro home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,270 a month here, $790 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Waldoboro’s typical property tax (1.04% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,270
Renters already here pay a median of $348, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Knox County, ME): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
20 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 20 new homes in Waldoboro in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $5.9 million to build. That's 3.8 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Maine (5.5). Over the past 10 years, Waldoboro has permitted 146 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Waldoboro gained 79 residents while 94 new homes were permitted: about 0.8 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year. Across Maine: 0.9 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 11 | 11 | 0 | $3.3 million |
| 2025 | 20 | 20 | 0 | $5.9 million |
| 2024 | 21 | 21 | 0 | $6.2 million |
| 2023 | 20 | 20 | 0 | $5.9 million |
| 2022 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $5.8 million |
| 2021 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $4.5 million |
| 2020 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $2.4 million |
| 2019 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $775,000 |
| 2018 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2017 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $2.8 million |
| 2016 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2015 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2014 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $385,000 |
| 2013 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2012 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2011 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2010 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2009 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2008 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $2.9 million |
| 2007 | 21 | 21 | 0 | $3.8 million |
| 2006 | 29 | 29 | 0 | $5.3 million |
| 2005 | 25 | 25 | 0 | $2.6 million |
| 2004 | 55 | 39 | 16 | $5.7 million |
| 2003 | 66 | 64 | 2 | $5.1 million |
| 2002 | 20 | 20 | 0 | $3.7 million |
Waldoboro's permit office didn't report to the Census in 2025, so the 2025 figures are Census estimates.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $2,861, under the Maine median of $3,036, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 1.04% a year, against 1.02% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Waldoboro vs. its neighbors
Of the 8 towns here with a Zillow value, Waldoboro has the lowest.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waldoboro | B | $336K | $275K | 1.04% | $1,270 |
| Friendship | B− | $381K | $275K | 0.81% | $1,790 |
| Nobleboro | C+ | $427K | $353K | 0.86% | $1,320 |
| Bremen | – | $481K | $425K | 0.67% | $1,530 |
| Warren | C+ | $342K | $233K | 1.22% | $1,440 |
| Jefferson | B | $381K | $312K | 0.83% | $1,420 |
| Damariscotta | C− | $477K | $364K | 1.05% | $1,270 |
| Union | C+ | $390K | $268K | 1.22% | $1,360 |
“—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents).
Questions about the cost of living in Waldoboro
Is Waldoboro expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Waldoboro costs less than 59% of U.S. towns: a B for cost of living, #25 of 143 in Maine. The typical home costs 3.6 years of the median household income of Lincoln County, ME ($77K).
How much does a house cost in Waldoboro?
About $336K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 0.9% in a year. The Maine typical home is $412K.
What salary do you need to live in Waldoboro?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $88,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,060 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $51,000.
How much is rent in Waldoboro?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,270 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $348 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Waldoboro?
The median bill is $2,861 a year, 1.04% of the median home value (Maine: $3,036, 1.02%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Waldoboro going up?
No: down 0.9% in the past year and 23.0% in five years, against 26.8% across Maine (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Waldoboro buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.