Maine Housing Market Tightens as New, Younger Residents Move In

State leaders see the influx of younger residents as a boon to Maine’s economy, but this could come at the expense of affordable housing.

2 minute read

February 7, 2023, 5:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Small communities in America’s easternmost state are feeling the impact of pandemic-era demographic shifts as an influx of younger residents brings a mixture of benefits and challenges. As Jenna Russell explains in a piece for The New York Times, “Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire have seen an uptick in new residents arriving from other states, more than 50,000 across the three states since April 2020, even as other Northeastern states — and especially large metro areas — have experienced a surge in out-migration.”

For Maine, the growth is significant, reversing the longstanding trend of a dwindling, aging population. “Population shifts — even small ones — carry high stakes in this rural, sparsely populated state, and across northern New England, where leaders have worried for years about a so-called ‘silver tsunami’ with implications for the economy and the fate of rural communities.” Now, the increase in younger residents is breathing new life into the state’s economy, but is also driving a steep rise in housing costs. 

Between 2020 and 2021, Maine was the only state in the nation to see its median age decline thanks to an influx of younger residents moving in during the pandemic. In one Maine county, median home prices surged by 60 percent between 2019 and 2022. Like many small communities around the country, local and state leaders must now grapple with the challenges to housing affordability and infrastructure that growth brings.

Friday, February 3, 2023 in Chicago News Cooperative/The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Interior of Place Versailles mall in Montreal, Canada.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units

Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

May 22, 2025 - CBC

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 28, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and yellow DART light rail train in Dallas, Texas with brick building in background.

DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process

The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.

May 28, 2025 - Mass Transit

Aerial view of Bend, Oregon.

Bend, Deschutes County Move to Restrict Major Homeless Encampment

City and county officials are closing off portions of an area known as Juniper Ridge where many unhoused residents find shelter, hoping to direct people to housing and supportive services.

May 30 - The Bulletin

Metro rail station in Mariachi Plaza with colorful glass pavilion in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California.

High Housing Costs Driving Down Transit Ridership in LA

When neighborhoods gentrify and displace lower-income residents, transit ridership suffers, new research shows.

May 30 - CALmatters

Des Moines, Iowa skyline viewed from a plaza with two flags on either side at dusk.

Iowa Legalizes Accessory Dwelling Units

A new law will allow property owners to build ADUs on single-family lots starting on July 1.

May 30 - Smart Cities Dive

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.