Article Table Of Contents
Most Americans have never been to Maine. However, as the people who live there know, Maine is an awesome state.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Maine has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Pine Tree State. Don't shoot the messenger, this is all using data.
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:
So what is the worst small town to call home in maine for 2020? According to the most recent census data, Milo is the worst small town to live in Maine.
Of course, many of these cities would rank highly if they were in other states, since Maine has its stuff figured out.
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 2020
/10
Population: 2,233
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 5)
Median Home Value: $64,800 (4th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 11.1% (10th worst)
More on Milo: Data
/10
/10
Population: 1,057
Rank Last Year: -
Median Home Value: $67,500 (5th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 24.6% (1st worst)
More on Anson: Data
/10
Population: 1,687
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 3)
Median Home Value: $62,300 (2nd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (52nd worst)
More on Van Buren: Data
/10
Population: 1,042
Rank Last Year: 17 (Up 12)
Median Home Value: $208,300 (57th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 8.6% (20th worst)
More on Wiscasset: Data
/10
Population: 3,152
Rank Last Year: 15 (Up 9)
Median Home Value: $87,600 (15th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 10.2% (13th worst)
More on Fairfield: Data
/10
Population: 1,060
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $102,300 (22nd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 20.6% (2nd worst)
More on Machias: Data
/10
Population: 1,106
Rank Last Year: -
Median Home Value: $87,900 (16th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 7.9% (22nd worst)
More on Howland: Data
/10
Population: 1,426
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $71,800 (6th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 6.9% (24th worst)
More on Limestone: Data
/10
Population: 1,065
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $81,700 (11th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 9.0% (17th worst)
More on Washburn: Data
How do you decide if a place is lousy or not?
In order to rank the worst small towns to live in Maine, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. It isn't a stretch to assume that people like low crime, solid education, things to do and a stable economy.
So we scraped the internet for those criteria, and it spit out the answer. Like magic.
How we determined the worst small towns to live in Maine for 2020
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using FBI crime data and the Census's 2014-2018 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 a lot - 68 to be exact.
Additional note: We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets its crime numbers from the cities themselves. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased.
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:
- York Harbor (Pop. 2,542)
- Cape Neddick (Pop. 2,316)
- Falmouth Foreside (Pop. 1,544)
For more Maine reading, check out:
Detailed List Of The Worst Small Towns In Maine
Rank | Town | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Milo | 2,233 |
2 | Madison | 2,502 |
3 | Anson | 1,057 |
4 | Van Buren | 1,687 |
5 | Wiscasset | 1,042 |
6 | Fairfield | 3,152 |
7 | Machias | 1,060 |
8 | Howland | 1,106 |
9 | Limestone | 1,426 |
10 | Washburn | 1,065 |
11 | Calais | 2,998 |
12 | Lincoln | 2,703 |
13 | Rumford | 3,771 |
14 | Waldoboro | 1,260 |
15 | Newport | 1,760 |
16 | Fort Kent | 2,291 |
17 | Livermore Falls | 1,589 |
18 | Greenville | 1,075 |
19 | Dexter | 2,287 |
20 | Eastport | 1,351 |
21 | Dixfield | 1,292 |
22 | Wilton | 1,982 |
23 | East Millinocket | 1,673 |
24 | Norway | 2,703 |
25 | Millinocket | 4,314 |
26 | Dover-Foxcroft | 2,496 |
27 | Houlton | 4,693 |
28 | Pittsfield | 2,873 |
29 | South Paris | 2,158 |
30 | Norridgewock | 1,283 |
31 | Fort Fairfield | 1,610 |
32 | North Berwick | 1,389 |
33 | Farmingdale | 2,068 |
34 | Randolph | 1,996 |
35 | Richmond | 1,602 |
36 | Madawaska | 2,633 |
37 | Blue Hill | 1,011 |
38 | Oakland | 2,292 |
39 | Bridgton | 2,198 |
40 | Winterport | 1,195 |
41 | Farmington | 3,878 |
42 | Milford | 2,191 |
43 | Searsport | 1,030 |
44 | Thomaston | 2,018 |
45 | Fryeburg | 1,548 |
46 | Mexico | 1,626 |
47 | Damariscotta | 1,286 |
48 | Bar Harbor | 2,172 |
49 | Chisholm | 1,411 |
50 | Winthrop | 2,594 |
51 | Mechanic Falls | 1,894 |
52 | Hallowell | 2,506 |
53 | Camden | 3,442 |
54 | West Kennebunk | 1,023 |
55 | Boothbay Harbor | 1,131 |
56 | South Eliot | 3,325 |
57 | Kittery | 4,376 |
58 | Lisbon Falls | 4,189 |
59 | Hampden | 3,889 |
60 | Scarborough | 4,796 |
61 | Berwick | 2,415 |
62 | Falmouth | 2,049 |
63 | Freeport | 1,412 |
64 | Kennebunkport | 1,121 |
65 | Cumberland Center | 2,644 |
66 | York Harbor | 2,542 |
67 | Cape Neddick | 2,316 |
68 | Falmouth Foreside | 1,544 |
How Is The Area In ?
The post Worst Small Towns In Maine, 2020 appeared first on RoadSnacks.