Rent Trends / ME
Rent Trends in Maine: 2015 to 2026
Yearly Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for 34 cities in Maine. The average across tracked cities is $2,013/month in 2026, up from $1,289 in 2015 (+56.2%). That sits $51 above (+2.6% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,962.
Last updated: September 14, 2026
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · Jan snapshots for 2015–2025; 2026 column = June 2026 release · U.S. typical rent $1,962 (June 2026)
What the Maine rent trend shows
This page follows market rents in Maine from 2015 through mid-2026 using the same Zillow ZORI vintage for every city in the table. State figures below are simple averages of the tracked cities — useful for comparing places inside Maine and stacking the state against the published U.S. typical rent ($1,962/month in June 2026, up from $1,357 in January 2019 on our national series).
Since 2023, the tracked-city average in Maine has risen from about $1,696 to $2,013 (+18.7%). That is the post-spike path — not a full reset to mid-2010s rents. The latest year step (2025 → 2026) is +5.4% ($1,909 → $2,013).
Within the state, long-run winners and losers split by city. The largest percentage increase from the earliest reading to 2026 is Portland (+89.1%, $1,289 → $2,438). 1 of 34 tracked cities are higher than their 2015 (or earliest) level.
For the national rent story, see the Rent Index. Statewide maps live on Rent by State. Full city database: Rent by City.
City-level breakdown in Maine
Lowest 2026 rents
- Presque Isle — $1,025
- Rumford — $1,050
- Fairfield — $1,288
- Waterville — $1,377
- Winslow — $1,385
Highest 2026 rents
- Cape Elizabeth — $3,166
- Falmouth — $3,025
- Scarborough — $2,742
- Freeport — $2,658
- South Portland — $2,611
Full list with every year from 2015–2026 is in the sortable table below.
All Maine cities — yearly rent table
| City | Metro | '15 | '16 | '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | '25 | '26 | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | $1,289 | $1,356 | $1,422 | $1,462 | $1,513 | $1,607 | $1,751 | $1,965 | $2,072 | $2,143 | $2,241 | $2,438 | +89.1% | |
| Lewiston | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,444 | $1,529 | +5.9% | |
| Bangor | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,091 | $1,249 | $1,316 | $1,406 | $1,456 | $1,586 | +45.4% | |
| South Portland | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,048 | $2,170 | $2,251 | $2,390 | $2,611 | +27.5% | |
| Auburn | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,475 | $1,581 | +7.2% | |
| Biddeford | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,677 | $1,856 | $1,912 | $2,003 | +19.4% | |
| Brunswick | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,009 | $2,156 | +7.3% | |
| Scarborough | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,410 | $2,742 | +13.8% | |
| Westbrook | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,405 | +0.0% | |
| Saco | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,040 | +0.0% | |
| Augusta | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,243 | $1,380 | $1,418 | $1,602 | +28.9% | |
| Windham | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,321 | +0.0% | |
| Sanford | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,768 | +0.0% | |
| Gorham | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,175 | +0.0% | |
| Waterville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,377 | +0.0% | |
| York | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,593 | +0.0% | |
| Falmouth | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $3,025 | +0.0% | |
| Wells | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,960 | +0.0% | |
| Kittery | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,334 | $2,495 | +6.9% | |
| Standish | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,400 | +0.0% | |
| Presque Isle | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,025 | +0.0% | |
| Bath | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,838 | +0.0% | |
| Old Orchard Beach | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,889 | +0.0% | |
| Freeport | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,658 | +0.0% | |
| Gray | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,050 | +0.0% | |
| Winslow | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,385 | +0.0% | |
| Yarmouth | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,384 | +0.0% | |
| Old Town | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,839 | +0.0% | |
| Cape Elizabeth | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $3,166 | +0.0% | |
| Rockland | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,688 | +0.0% | |
| Fairfield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,288 | +0.0% | |
| Winthrop | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,900 | +0.0% | |
| Gardiner | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,482 | +0.0% | |
| Rumford | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,050 | +0.0% |
Click any column header to sort · % Chg uses earliest available year → 2026
Frequently asked questions — Maine rent
Is Maine cheap to rent in 2026?
It depends which city you pick. The average across 34 tracked Maine cities is about $2,013/month — $51 above (+2.6% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,962. Use the city table for local prices; the national typical rent is $1,962/month as of June 2026.
What city in Maine has the cheapest rent?
Among cities in our ZORI sample, Presque Isle is the lowest at about $1,025/month (2026). Other lower-rent cities include Rumford ($1,050), Fairfield ($1,288), Waterville ($1,377).
What city in Maine has the most expensive rent?
Cape Elizabeth leads our sample at about $3,166/month in 2026, followed by Falmouth ($3,025) and Scarborough ($2,742).
How much have rents in Maine changed since 2015?
Across tracked cities, the average moved from about $1,289 in 2015 to $2,013 in 2026 (+56.2%). 1 of 34 cities are higher than their earliest reading in this series; the largest percentage jump is Portland (+89.1%).
Are rents in Maine still rising year over year?
From 2025 to 2026, the average across tracked Maine cities went from about $1,909 to $2,013 (+5.4%). Since 2023 ($1,696), that is +18.7%. Individual cities can diverge — sort by % Chg or compare the '25 and '26 columns.