This scenario page shows how a $30,000 salary typically performs across cities in Maine, with rent pressure first and deeper links after.
Is $30,000 enough in Maine?
Lewiston is the current best match in Maine for this salary, with rent around 36.26% of gross income and a tight budget outcome in our model.
Useful for relocation shortlists and deciding which city pages to open next.
For 30,000/yr in Maine, Lewiston is the lowest-rent-burden match in our dataset. Rent is about 36.26% of gross, and Rent (housing) is the biggest monthly cost driver. In this area (mid-range), the model’s rent math puts housing in a “Tight” bucket: rent tends to squeeze the budget and rent (housing) is the main lever in the estimates.
Cost-of-living tier: moderate
What drives the budget here?
This area is generally mid-range based on a cost-of-living index of 100 (U.S. average = 100). Typical rent-to-gross is in the Tight range (using the page’s rent and income inputs).
In the site’s estimated monthly breakdown, the largest category is Rent (housing) (906.5/mo), so that’s the biggest lever for moving the overall budget up or down.
Practical next steps
- Housing is consuming a large share of income here. Aim for rent closer to the 25–30% target (≈ up to undefined/mo for the median household income).
- State income tax is on the higher side in this state (6.5%). That reduces take-home pay, so “affordable” decisions should be based on net income, not just gross.
- In this area, the modeled rent target is reachable at (or below) the local median income level.
Cities in Maine (rent burden on $30k, lowest first)
Start with the best-fit cities below, then open individual city scenario pages for details.
- Lewiston— Tight budget, rent 36.26% of gross, ~$1,865.58/mo take-home
- Bangor— Tight budget, rent 38.72% of gross, ~$1,865.58/mo take-home
- Portland— Tight budget, rent 56.5% of gross, ~$1,865.58/mo take-home
- South Portland— Tight budget, rent 62.62% of gross, ~$1,865.58/mo take-home