Who Should NOT Move to Auburn?
Auburn is probably not the right fit for movers whose priorities directly conflict with its real, honestly-disclosed challenges -- Maine's high tax burden, real flood-risk history, and the region's regional-infrastructure and healthcare-market caveats.
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Learn moreProbably Not a Fit For
Anyone seeking a low-tax state overall, given Maine's genuinely high 7.15% top income tax rate and Auburn's own genuinely high, if disputed-in-exact-figure, property tax burden. Anyone requiring scheduled commercial air service from a local airport, given the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport's charter/general-aviation-only status and the real ~46-minute drive to the nearest scheduled-commercial airport. Anyone highly risk-averse to river-adjacent flood exposure, given Auburn's real, documented historical Androscoggin River flood history (1896, 1936, 1987). Anyone whose healthcare needs require a hospital located directly inside city limits, given that both regional hospital systems serving Auburn maintain their main campuses across the river in Lewiston, alongside the real, disclosed financial-strain context reported for both systems in 2025.
Research Directly Before Ruling Auburn Out
Some of these concerns are property-specific (flood-zone exposure) or need-specific (a particular healthcare specialty) rather than universal -- movers with a specific concern should confirm current, address-specific or need-specific data directly rather than ruling Auburn out based on citywide generalizations alone.
Key takeaways
- Probably not a fit for anyone prioritizing a genuinely low overall tax burden, given Maine's high income and property tax picture.
- Probably not a fit for frequent flyers requiring scheduled commercial air service from a local airport.
- Probably not a fit for anyone highly risk-averse to river-adjacent flood exposure.
- Probably not a fit for anyone requiring a hospital located directly inside city limits, given both regional systems' main campuses sit in Lewiston.
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