Living in Bangor, ME
Small city in Maine
Bangor is a small city in Maine, home to about 32,000 people, with 101,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Bangor a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Mild summers: highs around 78°F
- Low natural disaster risk: 5 federally declared disasters since 2000
- Safe: violent crime is 0.3× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $282k and rents for $2,130 a month
👎 Cons
- Smaller job market: about 101,000 people live within 31 mi
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Cloudier than most places
- No dog parks within 9 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Bangor ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Bangor: common questions
What is the cost of living in Bangor?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $282k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,130 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 97, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Bangor?
Maine collects about $1,982 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.45% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Bangor safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.3× in FBI 2019 data).
How are the schools in Bangor?
Public schools in Bangor test well above the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 13 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Bangor?
Bangor has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 31°F and summer days around 78°F, with roughly 75″ of snow a year.
Does Bangor get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and hurricanes: 5 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.34 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Bangor?
The nearest major airport is PWM, about 111 mi away.
How Bangor scores
Each bar compares Bangor with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Bangor
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Maine.
Is Bangor right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.