Housing Market in Maine
Maine's statewide housing market runs genuinely, substantially more expensive than the national picture -- a real, disclosed cross-source spread from Zillow's $421,966 statewide average home value to Redfin's $428,478 statewide median sale price, both meaningfully above the roughly $355,000-$375,000 range commonly cited nationally in 2026 -- with a real, dramatic 78% price increase from 2019 to 2024 driven substantially by post-2020 in-migration, and genuinely distinct regional markets from Greater Portland to the North Woods interior.
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Learn moreTwo statewide price figures, a real but narrow spread -- both above the national range
Zillow's statewide average home value ran $421,966 as of July 31, 2026, up 1.3% year-over-year, while Redfin's separately calculated statewide median sale price ran $428,478 in May 2026, up 0.8% year-over-year -- a real, disclosed spread narrower than this dataset has documented in some other states, but both figures sit meaningfully above the roughly $355,000-$375,000 range typically cited nationally in 2026. In May 2026, 1,525 homes sold statewide (up 1.5% year-over-year), with a median 53 days on market (up 1 day year-over-year) and 25.6% of homes selling above list price (down 6.3 points year-over-year) -- a real, disclosed sign of a market that cooled somewhat from its most competitive recent years even as prices continued rising modestly.
A real, dramatic 78% price increase since 2019, tied directly to in-migration
Maine's statewide median sale price rose approximately 78% from $219,000 in 2019 to $390,200 in 2024, per this pass's research -- a real, documented consequence of the post-2020 in-migration detailed in the moving topic, since out-of-state buyers carrying higher average incomes have been a real, disclosed contributor to that increase through competitive bidding on limited housing supply. Maine's statewide population reached a record 1,414,874 as of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimate, driven predominantly by domestic in-migration concentrated in Greater Portland and the Midcoast.
Rent runs close to comparably wide national figures, with a real cross-source spread
This pass's supplemental research found Maine's statewide average rent running a real, disclosed $1,115-$1,950/month depending on source -- ApartmentList's figure landed at approximately $1,115/month (April 2026), Zillow's at approximately $1,950/month, and a fair-market-rent-style aggregate figure at approximately $1,862/month, with one source's by-bedroom breakdown running $1,587 (studio) to $1,866 (two-bedroom). That spread runs broadly comparable to a similarly wide national rent spread this pass found ($1,550-$2,000/month). Confirm your specific target market's current rent directly, since this statewide figure masks real regional variation.
Greater Portland, the Midcoast, Southern Maine, Down East/Acadia, and the North Woods interior anchor genuinely distinct markets
Greater Portland carries Maine's most diversified urban housing market and is the state's primary destination for post-2020 in-migration -- likely running above the statewide figures cited here. The Midcoast (Bath, Rockland, Camden, Belfast) carries a boating, sailing, and second-home-tourism identity anchored economically by Bath Iron Works. Southern Maine/York County (Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Wells, York, Old Orchard Beach) carries a distinct beach-tourism and second-home identity with genuine commuter-adjacency to Portsmouth, NH and Greater Boston -- likely another above-statewide-average submarket. Down East and the Acadia region center on Acadia National Park's record 2025 visitation. Maine's North Woods interior (Millinocket, Greenville, Dover-Foxcroft, Houlton, Fort Kent, Aroostook County) carries a genuinely distinct, more affordable housing market shaped by the region's still-unfolding economic transition following historical paper-mill closures, with Aroostook and Washington counties carrying Maine's lowest 2024 median household incomes.
A modestly elevated property tax and favorable insurance shape total ownership cost
Maine's statewide effective property tax rate clusters around 1.10% -- only modestly, not extremely, above the roughly 0.91%-1.0% national average -- while homeowners insurance runs genuinely favorable ($1,335-$1,433/year, around 45% below the national average by one measure). See the property-taxes and homeowners-insurance topics for the full mechanics.
Key takeaways
- Maine's statewide home-price figures run $421,966 (Zillow average value) to $428,478 (Redfin median sale price), both meaningfully above the roughly $355,000-$375,000 commonly cited nationally in 2026.
- Maine's statewide median sale price rose approximately 78% from $219,000 (2019) to $390,200 (2024), a documented consequence of post-2020 in-migration.
- Statewide average rent runs a real, wide $1,115-$1,950/month depending on source, broadly comparable to (not dramatically below) a similarly wide national spread.
- Greater Portland and Southern Maine/York County likely run above the statewide housing figures given documented in-migration and beach/commuter demand; the North Woods interior likely runs below them.
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