Where Maine ranks
Maine against the other 49.
National rankings and government numbers on what it costs to live, work, and build a business in Maine. Each one is the latest edition we could find, with what it measures and a link to check it yourself.
No. 1
Most homes heating with oil
About half of Maine homes, 50.3 percent, heat mainly with fuel oil or kerosene, the highest share of any state; the U.S. share is 3.5 percent. New Hampshire is next at 37 percent. When world oil prices jump, Maine families feel it first. Our ranking of the Census file.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024, house heating fuel (B25040), all states
4th-highest
Home electricity prices
From January to July 2026, Maine homes paid an average of 29.99 cents a kilowatt-hour against 18.19 cents nationally, 1.65 times as much; only Hawaii, California and Massachusetts paid more. For all of 2025 Maine was 6th, at 1.61 times. Because Mainers use less power than most Americans, the average monthly bill, about $148 in 2025, is close to the national $152.
3rd-worst
Bridges in poor condition
387 of Maine's 2,538 bridges, 15.2 percent, are rated poor, against 6.6 percent nationally; only Iowa and West Virginia are worse. Measured by deck area instead of count, Maine is 6th worst. Maine's roads, by contrast, are in better shape than average. Our ranking of the federal inventory.
Source: Federal Highway Administration, National Bridge Inventory, bridge condition by state, 2026
47th of 50
Economic growth, 2025
Maine's economy grew 0.6 percent after inflation in 2025, against 2.1 percent for the country, 47th of 50. One year swings a lot: from 2019 to 2025 Maine grew 17.1 percent, 16th of 50 and ahead of the U.S. Our ranking of the federal data, which may be revised.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, GDP by state, annual 2025 (released April 9, 2026)
Biggest drop
Fourth-grade reading
Maine's average 4th-grade reading score fell 11.6 points from 2019 to 2024, from 221 to 210, the largest drop of any state; the national drop was 5.2 points. Oregon and Nebraska are close behind at 10.7, and differences that small may not be statistically significant. Maine's 8th-grade math is at the national average.
Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress, Nation's Report Card, 2024 state results
5th-highest
Tax burden
WalletHub puts Maine's property, income, and sales and excise taxes at 10.01 percent of residents' income, 5th highest. Its method counts taxes collected in Maine, including what tourists and out-of-state camp owners pay. The Tax Foundation, which counts taxes by who pays them, puts Maine 10th (12.4 percent, 2022 data, its latest).
Sources: WalletHub, Tax Burden by State, 2026 (March 31, 2026); Tax Foundation, State and Local Tax Burdens, Calendar Year 2022
7th-highest
Top income tax rate
Maine's top rate is 9.15 percent since 2026, 7th highest among the states, but that rate applies only to taxable income over $1 million ($1.5 million for couples). The rate most working Mainers meet is 7.15 percent, which starts at $64,850 of taxable income for a single filer.
Sources: Tax Foundation, Facts & Figures 2026; Maine Revenue Services, 2026 individual income tax rate schedules (revised May 20, 2026)
45th of 50
Property tax structure
The Tax Foundation's 2026 State Tax Competitiveness Index ranks how Maine's property taxes are built, including the tax on business equipment, the real estate transfer tax and the estate tax, 45th of 50. The Tax Foundation is a free-market think tank, and this measures design, not how much families pay. Maine is 26th overall in the same index and 9th on sales tax.
Source: Tax Foundation, 2026 State Tax Competitiveness Index: Maine
9th-highest
Property taxes per person
State and local property taxes came to $2,591 for every Mainer in fiscal 2023, against $2,034 nationally, 9th highest. The total includes taxes on businesses and on homes owned by people from away.
4th-fastest
Home prices
Maine home prices rose 47.2 percent from mid-2021 to mid-2026, 4th most of any state; since early 2020 they're up 80.9 percent, the most of any state. The last year was calmer, up 1.1 percent. Our ranking of the federal index.
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency, House Price Index, second quarter 2026
Oldest state
The oldest state
Half of Mainers are older than 44.9, the highest median age of any state; the U.S. median is about 39. Fewer young workers means fewer people paying in and fewer hands for every job. Maine is the only state whose median age has fallen since 2020.
Source: Maine State Economist, 2025 population estimates by age (June 25, 2026)
41st of 50
Education for children
The Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book ranks Maine 41st on its education measures: preschool attendance, 4th-grade reading, 8th-grade math and on-time graduation. Maine is 18th on graduation and 21st for child well-being overall.
Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book, Maine profile
45th of 50
Higher education
U.S. News ranks Maine's colleges and universities 45th in its 2026 Best States; Maine is 38th in education overall and 33rd for pre-K through 12th grade.
47th of 50
Infrastructure for business
CNBC's 2026 Top States for Business grades Maine's infrastructure an F, 47th of 50: freight, roads and bridges, the power grid's cost and reliability, water, broadband and building sites. Maine rose to 35th overall, from 43rd.
Source: CNBC, America's Top States for Business 2026: Maine (July 9, 2026)
43rd of 50
Business environment
U.S. News ranks Maine 43rd for business environment in its 2026 Best States. Venture investment in Maine is $1.04 for every $1,000 of the economy, against $7.91 nationally. Maine is 30th on the economy overall and 16th on growth.
43rd of 50
Access to capital
CNBC grades Maine an F on access to capital, 43rd of 50: venture capital, bank lending, state capital programs and foreign investment. It's one of CNBC's smaller categories.
Source: CNBC, America's Top States for Business 2026: Maine (July 9, 2026)
Numbers you may have heard
Some Maine rankings get repeated long after they stop being true. Here's what the sources say now.
“Maine has the 2nd-highest tax burden.”
That was a 2007 Tax Foundation figure, later revised. The latest: 5th (WalletHub, 2026) and 10th (Tax Foundation, 2022 data). Still among the highest.
“Maine ranks 43rd in education.”
That was U.S. News in 2024. In its 2026 edition Maine is 38th; KIDS COUNT puts it 41st.
“Maine's electricity costs double the national average.”
The price per kilowatt-hour is about 1.65 times the average, 4th highest in 2026. High, but not double.
Where Maine does well
2nd
Public safety
U.S. News ranks Maine 2nd for crime and corrections. The violent crime rate is 100 per 100,000 people, against 359 nationally.
2nd
Quality of life
CNBC ranks Maine's quality of life 2nd and its education 5th in its 2026 business rankings.
Source: CNBC, America's Top States for Business 2026: Maine (July 9, 2026)
Below average
Government debt and pensions
State and local debt came to about $6,100 per Mainer at the end of fiscal 2024, below the U.S. figure of about $9,700 and 36th of 50. Maine's public pensions are 91 percent funded, 16th best.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances; Tax Foundation, Facts & Figures 2026
7th-lowest
Sales tax rate
Maine's combined sales tax rate is 5.5 percent, with no local sales taxes, among the lowest in the country; the Tax Foundation ranks the structure 9th best.
Sources: Tax Foundation, Facts & Figures 2026; Tax Foundation, 2026 State Tax Competitiveness Index: Maine
16th
Growth since 2019
Measured from 2019 to 2025, Maine's economy grew 17.1 percent after inflation, 16th of 50 and ahead of the U.S. at 15.1 percent.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, GDP by state, annual 2025 (released April 9, 2026)
Rankings come from their publishers, and publishers measure different things, so we say what each one measures and note the caveats. Where the rank is our own ordering of the 50 states from a government file, we say so. We list the latest edition as of September 2026 and update when a new one comes out.
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