How many renters live in Maine?
The State of Maine has 36,868 people living in 16,060 households.
There are 7,200 renters living in 3,741 renter households in this State. Renters make up 19.53 percent of the population living in Maine.
What is the rental market like in Maine?
There are an estimated 18,999 housing units in the Maine area. Of these, 4,041 units are rental homes, making up 21 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Maine, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Maine?
The rental vacancy rate in Maine is 7 percent. This is a higher than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are high it means that there are a lot of available units and rents tend to be lower.
How many rental units are in Maine for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Maine
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 143 | 1,202 | 1,459 | 684 | 139 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Maine
A large number of apartments in Maine have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How many renter households in Maine are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 45 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 17 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.
The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Maine?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 114 | 80 percent |
| One BR | 804 | 67 percent |
| Two BR | 901 | 62 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Maine
How many affordable rental units are in Maine?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Maine including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 347 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 242 |
| Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly | 27 |
| USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing | 243 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Maine
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Maine
Maine features 15,832 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in Maine
There are 7,140 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Maine.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Maine
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Maine landlords $800 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Maine.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Maine for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,126 and $1,376.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
