Maine or Vermont to live? Maine is the more affordable choice – lower overall cost of living, lower income tax, and lower property taxes – with a coastline Vermont lacks. Vermont offers a higher median income, a strong education culture, and classic mountain-and-village scenery. Choose Maine for affordability and the coast, Vermont for the mountains and a slightly more prosperous, college-town feel.
“Maine or Vermont?” is a natural question – two rural, scenic, safe New England states often mentioned in the same breath. After three decades covering Maine, here is an honest comparison, including a cost difference that surprises people who assume the two are interchangeable.
The Big Difference: Affordable, Coastal Maine vs Prosperous, Mountain Vermont
Both are rural, safe, and beautiful, but they differ in feel and cost. Maine is larger and more affordable, with a long Atlantic coastline, working harbors, and a mix of coast, mountains, and North Woods. Vermont is smaller, landlocked, and mountain-defined – the Green Mountains, ski towns, and picture-book villages – with a higher median income and a strong education and progressive-community culture. Maine is the more affordable and coastal option; Vermont the more mountainous and slightly more prosperous one.
Cost of Living
Maine wins, and by more than people expect. Maine’s overall cost of living index runs around 110 versus Vermont’s roughly 117 – meaningfully cheaper – and studies suggest Maine can be 10-20% more affordable than comparable Vermont communities for middle-income households, largely due to lower housing and property-tax costs. If affordability matters, Maine is the clear choice.
Taxes
Maine has the edge. Maine’s top income tax rate is around 7.15%, below Vermont’s roughly 8.75%, and Maine’s property taxes are generally lower – a difference that can mean $1,500-$2,500 or more in annual savings for homeowners in comparable communities. Both have similar sales taxes (Maine 5.5%, Vermont 6%), both exempt groceries, and both offer Social Security exemptions for qualifying taxpayers. For most households, Maine’s total tax burden is lower.
Housing
Home prices are broadly similar statewide (both roughly in the $380,000-$430,000 range depending on the source and season), but Maine’s lower property taxes and overall costs make ownership more affordable over time. Maine also offers a wider range – from affordable inland and northern markets to premium coastal towns – while Vermont’s desirable areas (Burlington, the ski regions) command high prices.
Scenery and Lifestyle
This is the real character difference. Maine has the ocean – over 3,000 miles of coastline, lighthouses, islands, and Acadia – plus mountains and the North Woods. Vermont is all mountains and valleys: the Greens, world-class skiing (Stowe, Killington), and quintessential white-steepled villages. For coast and variety, Maine; for mountains and skiing, Vermont. Both offer four seasons, safety, and a slower rural pace.
Jobs and Income
Vermont has a slightly higher median household income and has seen somewhat faster job growth, with Burlington a notable small-city economy. Maine’s job market centers on Greater Portland, Bangor, and Lewiston-Auburn. The two are broadly comparable for opportunity, with Maine offering lower costs against Vermont’s marginally higher incomes. If you’re weighing where the work is, see our guide to the best places to live in Maine for jobs.
Who Should Choose Maine
Choose Maine for lower cost of living, lower taxes, the ocean and coast, more affordable homeownership, and a wider range of settings from coast to mountains to North Woods. It is the better choice for affordability and coastal living.
Who Should Choose Vermont
Choose Vermont for the mountains, world-class skiing, a strong education and community culture, and a slightly higher median income – if you can accept the higher cost of living and taxes, and you do not need the coast. It is the better choice for mountain lovers and skiers.
Our Honest Take
People often treat Maine and Vermont as interchangeable rural New England, but on cost they are not: Maine is meaningfully more affordable, with lower taxes and the added draw of the coast. Vermont wins if the mountains and skiing are your priority and the higher costs fit your budget. For most people weighing the two on value and lifestyle range, Maine comes out ahead – unless your heart is set on the Green Mountains.
Maine vs Vermont FAQ
Is it cheaper to live in Maine or Vermont?
Maine is cheaper. Maine’s overall cost of living index (around 110) is meaningfully below Vermont’s (around 117), and Maine has lower income and property taxes – often 10-20% more affordable than comparable Vermont communities for middle-income households, mainly due to lower housing and property-tax costs.
Is Maine or Vermont better to live in?
It depends on priorities. Maine is better for affordability, lower taxes, and coastal living, with a wider range of settings. Vermont is better for mountains, skiing, a strong education culture, and a slightly higher median income. Maine suits those prioritizing cost and the coast; Vermont suits mountain and ski lovers.
Does Maine or Vermont have lower taxes?
Maine has lower taxes overall. Maine’s top income tax rate (around 7.15%) is below Vermont’s (around 8.75%), and Maine’s property taxes are generally lower – potentially saving homeowners $1,500-$2,500 or more a year in comparable communities. Both exempt groceries and offer Social Security exemptions.
Compare Maine to other states: Maine vs New Hampshire · Maine vs Massachusetts · Maine vs Florida · Maine vs California · Maine vs Texas · Maine vs New York
Moving to Maine for work? If you choose Maine, browse current jobs on JobsInMaine in Portland, Bangor, and Lewiston, or see our guide to the best places to live in Maine for jobs.
See also our Maine vs New Hampshire to live, cheapest places to live in Maine, and guide to moving to Maine. MaineGuide.com has been Maine’s resource guide since 1995.