The Town Files

The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in Maine

Ranked on The Town Files lifestyle rankings among 152 towns of 2,500–10,000 people in Maine. #1 is Camden, ME.

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Numbers match the ranking.
The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in Maine1. Camden100th pct2. Camden100th pct3. Hallowell99th pct4. Belfast98th pct5. Kennebunk97th pct6. Bar Harbor96th pct7. Harpswell94th pct8. Boothbay93rd pct9. Kennebunkport92nd pct10. Bristol92nd pct11. Cape Elizabeth91st pct12. Dover-Foxcroft91st pct13. Blue Hill91st pct14. Dover-Foxcroft91st pct15. Eliot89th pct16. South Eliot89th pct17. Woolwich88th pct18. St. George88th pct19. York Harbor87th pct20. Kittery85th pct21. Farmington84th pct22. Searsport84th pct23. Farmington83rd pct24. Madawaska83rd pct25. Rockport83rd pct
  1. 25Rockport, Maine

    Better for retirees than 83% of Maine towns

    3,644 people · Knox County · median home $469,000 · income $86,979 · Jan low 12°F · 69 in snow

  2. 24Madawaska, Maine

    Better for retirees than 83% of Maine towns

    3,867 people · Aroostook County · median home $156,300 · income $56,818 · Jan low 3°F · 98 in snow

  3. 23Farmington, Maine

    Better for retirees than 83% of Maine towns

    7,592 people · Franklin County · median home $166,600 · income $54,276 · Jan low 6°F · 94 in snow

  4. 22Searsport, Maine

    Better for retirees than 84% of Maine towns

    2,649 people · Waldo County · median home $224,400 · income $64,303 · Jan low 10°F · 72 in snow

  5. 21Farmington, Maine

    Better for retirees than 84% of Maine towns

    4,168 people · Franklin County · median home $169,900 · income $41,033 · Jan low 6°F · 94 in snow

  6. 20Kittery, Maine

    Better for retirees than 85% of Maine towns

    4,973 people · York County · median home $461,400 · income $84,730 · Jan low 16°F · 56 in snow

  7. 19York Harbor, Maine

    Better for retirees than 87% of Maine towns

    3,132 people · York County · median home $627,700 · income $100,625 · Jan low 14°F · 70 in snow

  8. 18St. George, Maine

    Better for retirees than 88% of Maine towns

    2,594 people · Knox County · median home $356,300 · income $89,155 · Jan low 17°F · 53 in snow

  9. 17Woolwich, Maine

    Better for retirees than 88% of Maine towns

    3,068 people · Sagadahoc County · median home $254,500 · income $102,175 · Jan low 12°F · 72 in snow

  10. 16South Eliot, Maine

    Better for retirees than 89% of Maine towns

    3,719 people · York County · median home $475,600 · income $99,299 · Jan low 15°F · 56 in snow

  11. 15Eliot, Maine

    Better for retirees than 89% of Maine towns

    6,717 people · York County · median home $498,900 · income $101,522 · Jan low 15°F · 56 in snow

  12. 14Dover-Foxcroft, Maine

    Better for retirees than 91% of Maine towns

    2,776 people · Piscataquis County · median home $158,800 · income $56,250 · Jan low 3°F · 77 in snow

  13. 13Blue Hill, Maine

    Better for retirees than 91% of Maine towns

    2,792 people · Hancock County · median home $399,500 · income $80,377 · Jan low 11°F · 72 in snow

  14. 12Dover-Foxcroft, Maine

    Better for retirees than 91% of Maine towns

    4,422 people · Piscataquis County · median home $162,600 · income $63,344 · Jan low 3°F · 77 in snow

  15. 11Cape Elizabeth, Maine

    Better for retirees than 91% of Maine towns

    9,535 people · Cumberland County · median home $731,600 · income $145,821 · Jan low 16°F · 69 in snow

  16. 10Bristol, Maine

    Better for retirees than 92% of Maine towns

    2,834 people · Lincoln County · median home $406,400 · income $100,750 · Jan low 15°F · 70 in snow

  17. 9Kennebunkport, Maine

    Better for retirees than 92% of Maine towns

    3,629 people · York County · median home $740,500 · income $102,747 · Jan low 13°F · 49 in snow

  18. 8Boothbay, Maine

    Better for retirees than 93% of Maine towns

    3,003 people · Lincoln County · median home $342,100 · income $60,320 · Jan low 14°F · 70 in snow

  19. 7Harpswell, Maine

    Better for retirees than 94% of Maine towns

    5,031 people · Cumberland County · median home $609,700 · income $96,250 · Jan low 12°F · 71 in snow

  20. 6Bar Harbor, Maine

    Better for retirees than 96% of Maine towns

    5,089 people · Hancock County · median home $538,400 · income $77,180 · Jan low 15°F

  21. 5Kennebunk, Maine

    Better for retirees than 97% of Maine towns

    5,776 people · York County · median home $452,800 · income $95,169 · Jan low 13°F · 49 in snow

  22. 4Belfast, Maine

    Better for retirees than 98% of Maine towns

    6,938 people · Waldo County · median home $340,900 · income $67,679 · Jan low 10°F · 72 in snow

  23. 3Hallowell, Maine

    Better for retirees than 99% of Maine towns

    2,570 people · Kennebec County · median home $295,300 · income $68,398 · Jan low 12°F · 69 in snow

  24. 2Camden, Maine

    Better for retirees than 100% of Maine towns

    3,850 people · Knox County · median home $498,800 · income $78,788 · Jan low 12°F · 69 in snow

  25. 1Camden, Maine

    Better for retirees than 100% of Maine towns

    5,232 people · Knox County · median home $520,600 · income $82,344 · Jan low 12°F · 69 in snow

Price vs ranking

Median home value vs ranking, Maine towns0255075100$100K$246K$392K$538K$684KMedian home valuePercentile
Orange squares are the 25 towns on this list; green dots are other towns on The Town Files in Maine.

More Maine rankings

Same ranking, other places

Methodology. We ranked 152 towns of 2,500–10,000 people in Maine (2020 Census population; towns with 2,500+ people have pages so far). Lifestyle measures are The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025), shown as percentiles. Only towns better than 60% of their peers on this measure qualify, so lists can be shorter than 25. Sources: