Most Americans have never been to small town Maine. However, as the Mainer who live there know, small town Maine is an awesome place to call home.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Maine has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Pine Tree State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.
After analyzing more than 71 of Maine’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Maine where you’d never want to live:
So what is the worst small town to call home in Maine for 2023? According to the most recent census data, Machias is the worst small town to live in Maine.
While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Machias home. Everyone
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Maine or the worst places to live in Maine.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Maine For 2023
1. Machias
/10
Population: 1,396
Median Home Value: $105,000 (18th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 14.1% (4th worst)
2. Calais
/10
Population: 3,010
Median Home Value: $100,300 (13th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 9.8% (12th worst)
3. Madison
/10
Population: 2,516
Median Home Value: $70,800 (4th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 12.1% (7th worst)
4. Howland
/10
Population: 1,096
Median Home Value: $87,800 (10th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 9.4% (13th worst)
5. Wilton
/10
Population: 1,451
Median Home Value: $132,000 (32nd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 20.2% (2nd worst)
6. Mars Hill
Population: 1,004
Median Home Value: $94,600 (12th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (28th worst)
7. Van Buren
/10
Population: 1,596
Median Home Value: $84,600 (9th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (56th worst)
8. Rumford
/10
Population: 3,891
Median Home Value: $83,900 (8th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (25th worst)
9. Oxford
/10
Population: 1,043
Median Home Value: $154,000 (37th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 18.1% (3rd worst)
10. Lincoln
/10
Population: 2,588
Median Home Value: $113,500 (26th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 1.2% (62nd worst)
Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Maine is lousy or not?
To rank the worst small towns to live in Maine, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.
We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.
Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2017-2021 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower, the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 71 to be exact.
We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2023, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Maine.
There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Maine
If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Pine Tree State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Maine, according to science:
- Cape Neddick (Pop. 2,485)
- York Harbor (Pop. 3,819)
- Falmouth Foreside (Pop. 1,811)
For more Maine reading, check out:
Detailed List Of The Worst Small Towns In Maine
Rank | Town | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Machias | 1,396 |
2 | Calais | 3,010 |
3 | Madison | 2,516 |
4 | Howland | 1,096 |
5 | Wilton | 1,451 |
6 | Mars Hill | 1,004 |
7 | Van Buren | 1,596 |
8 | Rumford | 3,891 |
9 | Oxford | 1,043 |
10 | Lincoln | 2,588 |
11 | Fairfield | 2,185 |
12 | Dover-Foxcroft | 2,560 |
13 | Madawaska | 2,907 |
14 | Eastport | 1,226 |
15 | Woodland | 1,035 |
16 | Norway | 2,557 |
17 | Newport | 1,549 |
18 | Dexter | 1,940 |
19 | Milo | 1,563 |
20 | Wiscasset | 1,318 |
21 | Norridgewock | 1,278 |
22 | Fort Fairfield | 1,547 |
23 | Greenville | 1,116 |
24 | Randolph | 1,595 |
25 | Livermore Falls | 1,667 |
26 | Pittsfield | 2,994 |
27 | Millinocket | 4,127 |
28 | Fryeburg | 1,449 |
29 | Chisholm | 1,007 |
30 | Farmington | 4,424 |
31 | East Millinocket | 1,581 |
32 | Fort Kent | 2,409 |
33 | Milford | 2,400 |
34 | Bucksport | 2,996 |
35 | Limestone | 1,266 |
36 | Clinton | 1,284 |
37 | Mechanic Falls | 2,142 |
38 | Waldoboro | 1,476 |
39 | Mexico | 1,859 |
40 | Dixfield | 1,383 |
41 | Searsport | 1,279 |
42 | Winterport | 1,275 |
43 | South Paris | 2,169 |
44 | Bridgton | 1,726 |
45 | Richmond | 1,861 |
46 | Damariscotta | 1,314 |
47 | Blue Hill | 1,401 |
48 | Hallowell | 2,542 |
49 | Winthrop | 2,407 |
50 | Oakland | 2,368 |
51 | Steep Falls | 1,677 |
52 | North Berwick | 1,750 |
53 | Boothbay Harbor | 1,103 |
54 | Farmingdale | 2,355 |
55 | Thomaston | 2,075 |
56 | Lisbon Falls | 4,213 |
57 | Lake Arrowhead | 3,007 |
58 | Berwick | 1,725 |
59 | West Kennebunk | 1,119 |
60 | Freeport | 1,828 |
61 | Kennebunkport | 1,402 |
62 | Bar Harbor | 2,018 |
63 | Hampden | 4,325 |
64 | Camden | 3,713 |
65 | Cumberland Center | 2,956 |
66 | South Eliot | 3,342 |
67 | Kittery Point | 1,017 |
68 | Falmouth | 1,728 |
69 | Cape Neddick | 2,485 |
70 | York Harbor | 3,819 |
71 | Falmouth Foreside | 1,811 |
Wow! I would think you’d do some research! The populations you have of these towns are super low! You are way off!