Maine
Ranked #29 of 51 for housing affordability
Median Home Price
🏠$311K
4.21x income
Median Rent
🔑$1,189
32.0% rent-burdened
Median Income
💰$74K
Population: 1,385,340
Homeownership
🏡74.0%
4,411 experiencing homelessness
Housing Shortage
📉25,000
units needed
Building Permits (2024)
🔨6,034
Price-to-Income
📊4.21x
Severe Rent Burden
⚠️15.0%
paying >50% of income
Rent Burden Breakdown
vs. National Average
House Price Index (2000–2025)
FHFA All-Transactions HPI · Base = 100 (1980s)
HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026)
Maximum rent HUD considers fair for Section 8 voucher holders
FMR ($1650) is above the state median rent ($1189) — vouchers cover typical rents.
Metros in Maine
| Metro | Score | Home Price | Rent | Income | Rent Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland ME | 35 | $440K | $1,600 | $66K | 34.0% |
| Bangor | 86 | $229K | $1,105 | $66K | 18.2% |
Market Trends
Homeownership Rate
74.0%
Rent-to-Income Ratio
19.0%
of gross income spent on rent
Total Households
616,085
Owner-Occupied
458,444
Renter-Occupied
157,641
Homelessness
Latest Count (2024)
2,702
1-Year Change
-36.5%
10-Year Trend (2015–2024)
+13.9%
2,372 → 2,702
Housing Policies
Construction Activity
Total Permits (2024)
6,034
0.4% of national total
Single-Family
4,650
77% of state permits
Multi-Family
1,384
23% of state permits
Mortgage Access
National HMDA data — mortgage denial rates by race/ethnicity
Denial Rates by Race
Top Denial Reasons
Housing Shortage
State Shortage
25,000
units needed
National Shortage
7,300,000
0.3% of national total
Affordable Units per 100 ELI Renters
35
nationally (NLIHC)
National Shortage by Unit Type
45%
Single-Family
18%
Small Multi (2-4)
22%
Medium Multi (5-49)
15%
Large Multi (50+)
Rent Burden Detail
Maine burden rates with national demographic breakdown
Cost-Burdened Renters
32.0%
paying >30% of income
Severely Burdened
15.0%
paying >50% of income
Households >30% Burden
31,903
Households >35% Burden
13,880