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 68 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:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the worst small towns in Maine for 2024:
- Howland
- Machias
- Rumford
- Oxford
- Madawaska
- Calais
- Norridgewock
- Van Buren
- Norway
- Wilton
So what is the worst small town to call home in Maine for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Howland 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 Howland 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.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Maine For 2024
1. Howland
/10
Population: 1,126
Median Home Value: $169,600
Median Income: $45,313
Unemployment Rate: 10.0%
2. Machias
/10
Population: 1,331
Median Home Value: $173,649
Median Income: $25,278
Unemployment Rate: 8.6%
3. Rumford
/10
Population: 3,922
Median Home Value: $182,937
Median Income: $35,818
Unemployment Rate: 6.7%
4. Oxford
/10
Population: 1,100
Median Home Value: $280,380
Median Income: $75,065
Unemployment Rate: 17.5%
5. Madawaska
/10
Population: 2,726
Median Home Value: $150,434
Median Income: $35,644
Unemployment Rate: 11.2%
6. Calais
/10
Population: 3,078
Median Home Value: $147,593
Median Income: $45,250
Unemployment Rate: 9.8%
7. Norridgewock
/10
Population: 1,099
Median Home Value: $213,996
Median Income: $41,944
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
8. Van Buren
/10
Population: 1,682
Median Home Value: $114,355
Median Income: $34,263
Unemployment Rate: 1.6%
9. Norway
/10
Population: 2,698
Median Home Value: $310,044
Median Income: $38,381
Unemployment Rate: 7.5%
10. Wilton
/10
Population: 1,599
Median Home Value: $221,773
Median Income: $42,143
Unemployment Rate: 11.1%
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 2018-2022 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 – 68 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 2024, 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.
The worst small towns in Maine are Howland, Machias, Rumford, Oxford, Madawaska, Calais, Norridgewock, Van Buren, Norway, and Wilton.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Maine, according to science:
- York Harbor (Pop. 3,640)
- Kittery Point (Pop. 1,017)
- Falmouth Foreside (Pop. 2,022)
For more Maine reading, check out:
Worst Small Towns In Maine
| Rank | Town | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Howland | 1,126 | 10.0% | $169,600 | $45,313 |
| 2 | Machias | 1,331 | 8.6% | $173,649 | $25,278 |
| 3 | Rumford | 3,922 | 6.7% | $182,937 | $35,818 |
| 4 | Oxford | 1,100 | 17.5% | $280,380 | $75,065 |
| 5 | Madawaska | 2,726 | 11.2% | $150,434 | $35,644 |
| 6 | Calais | 3,078 | 9.8% | $147,593 | $45,250 |
| 7 | Norridgewock | 1,099 | 0.0% | $213,996 | $41,944 |
| 8 | Van Buren | 1,682 | 1.6% | $114,355 | $34,263 |
| 9 | Norway | 2,698 | 7.5% | $310,044 | $38,381 |
| 10 | Wilton | 1,599 | 11.1% | $221,773 | $42,143 |
| 11 | Lincoln | 2,521 | 2.4% | $200,432 | $28,932 |
| 12 | Milo | 1,409 | 2.1% | $137,176 | $51,528 |
| 13 | Woodland | 1,173 | 2.4% | $136,413 | $44,917 |
| 14 | Dover-Foxcroft | 2,836 | 7.1% | $215,084 | $47,764 |
| 15 | Houlton | 4,918 | 18.6% | $138,896 | $50,625 |
| 16 | Fairfield | 2,647 | 4.6% | $231,626 | $34,657 |
| 17 | Millinocket | 4,136 | 8.9% | $147,361 | $45,345 |
| 18 | Farmington | 4,318 | 4.4% | $257,958 | $40,350 |
| 19 | Newport | 1,485 | 2.7% | $244,293 | $36,563 |
| 20 | Pittsfield | 3,148 | 1.6% | $201,883 | $42,292 |
| 21 | Bridgton | 1,514 | 8.4% | $393,835 | $56,475 |
| 22 | Mechanic Falls | 2,286 | 8.7% | $261,793 | $55,986 |
| 23 | Limestone | 1,165 | 2.4% | $119,879 | $36,023 |
| 24 | Madison | 2,100 | 1.9% | $192,146 | $39,695 |
| 25 | Dexter | 1,745 | 4.7% | $182,478 | $56,280 |
| 26 | Mexico | 1,833 | 2.2% | $172,305 | $35,093 |
| 27 | Eastport | 1,211 | 2.8% | $234,083 | $44,919 |
| 28 | East Millinocket | 1,541 | 5.2% | $149,455 | $44,531 |
| 29 | Randolph | 1,522 | 5.6% | $258,495 | $48,654 |
| 30 | Milford | 2,270 | 3.5% | $218,028 | $59,053 |
| 31 | Fryeburg | 1,503 | 6.6% | $328,459 | $41,350 |
| 32 | Fort Fairfield | 1,566 | 13.7% | $154,505 | $55,625 |
| 33 | Bar Harbor | 2,154 | 10.6% | $645,259 | $46,917 |
| 34 | Bucksport | 2,947 | 8.2% | $267,364 | $48,942 |
| 35 | Chisholm | 1,074 | 6.3% | $180,186 | $58,750 |
| 36 | Fort Kent | 2,515 | 2.8% | $192,674 | $57,067 |
| 37 | Livermore Falls | 1,765 | 3.9% | $205,526 | $44,864 |
| 38 | Clinton | 1,436 | 0.0% | $240,202 | $71,934 |
| 39 | Damariscotta | 1,267 | 7.6% | $467,993 | $53,571 |
| 40 | Waldoboro | 1,553 | 4.0% | $310,342 | $54,345 |
| 41 | Winterport | 1,100 | 0.0% | $276,005 | $44,205 |
| 42 | Searsport | 1,053 | 13.9% | $299,684 | $59,679 |
| 43 | Oakland | 2,519 | 0.7% | $308,531 | $41,499 |
| 44 | South Paris | 2,208 | 2.8% | $249,321 | $42,321 |
| 45 | Wiscasset | 1,207 | 3.3% | $338,680 | $102,792 |
| 46 | Richmond | 1,835 | 5.1% | $310,588 | $68,030 |
| 47 | Dixfield | 1,512 | 1.9% | $196,028 | $52,208 |
| 48 | Thomaston | 2,101 | 2.3% | $317,968 | $54,155 |
| 49 | Farmingdale | 2,264 | 2.0% | $310,772 | $58,709 |
| 50 | Berwick | 2,050 | 5.0% | $421,071 | $63,199 |
| 51 | Hallowell | 2,558 | 0.9% | $341,802 | $62,990 |
| 52 | Kennebunkport | 1,318 | 8.1% | $1,069,676 | $113,456 |
| 53 | Winthrop | 2,546 | 6.1% | $348,947 | $66,875 |
| 54 | West Kennebunk | 1,269 | 14.3% | $691,372 | $90,104 |
| 55 | Lisbon Falls | 4,177 | 3.9% | $297,432 | $69,013 |
| 56 | Freeport | 1,848 | 10.7% | $618,272 | $76,012 |
| 57 | Steep Falls | 2,087 | 0.0% | $362,110 | $85,040 |
| 58 | North Berwick | 1,806 | 0.7% | $444,597 | $50,579 |
| 59 | Hampden | 4,466 | 2.3% | $321,416 | $97,019 |
| 60 | Lake Arrowhead | 2,896 | 1.6% | $330,052 | $80,819 |
| 61 | Camden | 3,644 | 5.2% | $627,938 | $92,857 |
| 62 | Cumberland Center | 2,913 | 4.8% | $690,583 | $116,891 |
| 63 | Cape Neddick | 2,462 | 6.0% | $908,354 | $76,701 |
| 64 | South Eliot | 3,686 | 2.6% | $649,050 | $91,457 |
| 65 | Falmouth | 1,620 | 3.8% | $797,511 | $112,596 |
| 66 | York Harbor | 3,640 | 0.7% | $827,499 | $89,647 |
| 67 | Kittery Point | 1,017 | 0.9% | $696,426 | $121,042 |
| 68 | Falmouth Foreside | 2,022 | 2.8% | $974,523 | $190,476 |
Wow! I would think you’d do some research! The populations you have of these towns are super low! You are way off!