High housing cost burden by owner/renter households and county in Maine

High housing costs make it difficult for households to meet their other essential expenses such as for food and healthcare and transportation. "The Rent Eats First" by Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. Nationally, rents are rising and homes for sale are rising even more quickly. It is increasing difficult for young families to bear the burdens of both high rents and high costs to enter the home ownership market. From 2019-2024, the median sale price for a home in Maine increased 46%, from $225,300 to $414,800. The median sale price in Cumberland, Lincoln, and York counties is over half a million dollars.

In Maine, for 2020-2024, 22.1% of owners and 53.8% of renters paid 30% or more of their income for rent. For renters, this is the highest rate since we started tracking the measure in 2015.

For the most recent period, 2020-2024, the counties of Oxford, Washington, and Sagadahoc had the highest percentage of renter households paying 30% or more of their income at 69%, 69% and 59% respectively. The three counties with the lowest rental housing burden were York, Piscataquis, and Lincoln, at 49%, 48%, and 44% respectively.

High housing costs make it difficult for households to meet their other essential expenses such as for food and healthcare and transportation. "The Rent Eats First" by Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. Nationally, rents are rising and homes for sale are rising even more quickly. It is increasing difficult for young families to bear the burdens of both high rents and high costs to enter the home ownership market. From 2019-2024, the median sale price for a home in Maine increased 46%, from $225,300 to $414,800. The median sale price in Cumberland, Lincoln, and York counties is over half a million dollars.

In Maine, for 2020-2024, 22.1% of owners and 53.8% of renters paid 30% or more of their income for rent. For renters, this is the highest rate since we started tracking the measure in 2015.

For the most recent period, 2020-2024, the counties of Oxford, Washington, and Sagadahoc had the highest percentage of renter households paying 30% or more of their income at 69%, 69% and 59% respectively. The three counties with the lowest rental housing burden were York, Piscataquis, and Lincoln, at 49%, 48%, and 44% respectively.