The Town Files

The 25 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in Maine

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

Map of the 25 towns12345678910111213141516171819202122232425
Numbers match the ranking.
The 25 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in Maine1. Woolwich100th pct2. Bowdoin99th pct3. Bowdoinham99th pct4. Farmingdale99th pct5. Bath98th pct6. Hollis97th pct7. Dover-Foxcroft97th pct8. Naples97th pct9. Casco97th pct10. Dover-Foxcroft97th pct11. Acton97th pct12. Berwick95th pct13. New Gloucester95th pct14. Topsham94th pct15. Bridgton94th pct16. Fort Kent94th pct17. Shapleigh94th pct18. Topsham93rd pct19. Old Orchard Beach90th pct20. Clinton90th pct21. Fort Fairfield90th pct22. Waterboro88th pct23. North Windham88th pct24. Limington88th pct25. Jay84th pct
  1. 25Jay, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 84% of Maine towns

    4,620 people · Franklin County · median home $168,600 · income $70,238 · Jan low 6°F · 91 in snow

  2. 24Limington, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 88% of Maine towns

    3,892 people · York County · median home $295,600 · income $84,675 · Jan low 8°F · 81 in snow

  3. 23North Windham, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 88% of Maine towns

    5,274 people · Cumberland County · median home $342,800 · income $88,522 · Jan low 11°F · 76 in snow

  4. 22Waterboro, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 88% of Maine towns

    7,936 people · York County · median home $297,000 · income $89,392 · Jan low 8°F · 81 in snow

  5. 21Fort Fairfield, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 90% of Maine towns

    3,322 people · Aroostook County · median home $161,000 · income $70,852 · Jan low 3°F · 108 in snow

  6. 20Clinton, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 90% of Maine towns

    3,370 people · Kennebec County · median home $187,000 · income $71,458 · Jan low 9°F · 82 in snow

  7. 19Old Orchard Beach, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 90% of Maine towns

    8,960 people · York County · median home $366,600 · income $60,050 · Jan low 16°F · 69 in snow

  8. 18Topsham, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 93% of Maine towns

    6,623 people · Sagadahoc County · median home $388,500 · income $100,024 · Jan low 12°F · 67 in snow

  9. 17Shapleigh, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 94% of Maine towns

    2,921 people · York County · median home $356,000 · income $88,140 · Jan low 10°F · 75 in snow

  10. 16Fort Kent, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 94% of Maine towns

    4,067 people · Aroostook County · median home $160,700 · income $56,270 · Jan low -3°F · 99 in snow

  11. 15Bridgton, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 94% of Maine towns

    5,418 people · Cumberland County · median home $316,600 · income $77,500 · Jan low 7°F · 84 in snow

  12. 14Topsham, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 94% of Maine towns

    9,560 people · Sagadahoc County · median home $360,800 · income $91,028 · Jan low 12°F · 67 in snow

  13. 13New Gloucester, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 95% of Maine towns

    5,676 people · Cumberland County · median home $357,100 · income $108,797 · Jan low 11°F · 80 in snow

  14. 12Berwick, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 95% of Maine towns

    7,950 people · York County · median home $369,100 · income $94,771 · Jan low 15°F · 55 in snow

  15. 11Acton, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 97% of Maine towns

    2,671 people · York County · median home $334,300 · income $78,750 · Jan low 10°F · 81 in snow

  16. 10Dover-Foxcroft, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 97% of Maine towns

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

  17. 9Casco, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 97% of Maine towns

    3,646 people · Cumberland County · median home $355,500 · income $69,313 · Jan low 11°F · 70 in snow

  18. 8Naples, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 97% of Maine towns

    3,925 people · Cumberland County · median home $340,100 · income $78,188 · Jan low 7°F · 70 in snow

  19. 7Dover-Foxcroft, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 97% of Maine towns

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

  20. 6Hollis, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 97% of Maine towns

    4,745 people · York County · median home $338,900 · income $95,950 · Jan low 8°F · 81 in snow

  21. 5Bath, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 98% of Maine towns

    8,766 people · Sagadahoc County · median home $310,900 · income $69,390 · Jan low 10°F · 72 in snow

  22. 4Farmingdale, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 99% of Maine towns

    2,995 people · Kennebec County · median home $249,700 · income $71,635 · Jan low 9°F · 69 in snow

  23. 3Bowdoinham, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 99% of Maine towns

    3,047 people · Sagadahoc County · median home $405,500 · income $108,479 · Jan low 10°F · 72 in snow

  24. 2Bowdoin, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 99% of Maine towns

    3,136 people · Sagadahoc County · median home $292,800 · income $91,239 · Jan low 8°F · 78 in snow

  25. 1Woolwich, Maine

    Better for first-time buyers than 100% of Maine towns

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