Now that we’re headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of Maine would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.
Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Pine Tree State?
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to measure how each city in Maine with populations greater than 5,000 voted in past elections. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Republican were named the most conservative cities in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 most conservative places in Maine for 2024
If you’re wondering, Portland is the most liberal city in Maine of all those we measured.
And to be clear, we didn’t form this list based on our own biases — we relied on the cold hard data. For more on how we ran the numbers, keep on reading. Then we’ll take a closer look at each of our top 10 most conservative cities in Maine.
Additional reading about Maine and the most conservative places in the country:
The 10 Most Conservative Places In Maine For 2024
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Percent Republican: 58.2%
More on Presque Isle: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 58.2%
More on Caribou: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 52.0%
More on Brewer: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 52.0%
More on Bangor: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 52.0%
More on Old Town: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 49.3%
More on Auburn: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 49.3%
More on Lewiston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 47.8%
More on Waterville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 47.8%
More on Augusta: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 47.8%
More on Gardiner: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
How we determined the most conservative cities in Maine for 2024
To find the most conservative places in Maine, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most conservatives.
We started by making a list of every city in Maine over 5,000 people based on the 2018-2022 American Community Survey. That left us with 19 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and MIT election data to determine which places rock the most rightward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For The Republican President In 2020
Because no voting data exists at the city level, we used county-level election results from the 2020 election. We assigned every city in a county the percentage of votes that went to the Republicans, effectively extending the county’s results to the city level. In cases where larger cities encompassed an entire county, the election outcomes accurately reflected the city’s political landscape.
Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 19 for each criterion, where number one was the most conservative.
The winner, Presque Isle, is “The Most Conservative City in Maine For 2024”. The most liberal place in Maine was Portland.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the most conservative places to live in Maine.
Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in Maine
Well, there you have it, the places in Maine that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Presque Isle ranking as the most conservative in the entire state.
The most conservative cities in Maine are Presque Isle, Caribou, Brewer, Bangor, Old Town, Auburn, Lewiston, Waterville, Augusta, and Gardiner.
If you’re curious, here are the least conservative cities in Maine:
- Portland
- South Portland
- Westbrook
For more Maine reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Maine
- Cheapest Places To Live In Maine
- Most Dangerous Cities In Maine
- Richest Cities In Maine
- Safest Places In Maine
- Worst Places To Live In Maine
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Maine
Most Conservative Places In Maine
| Rank | City | Population | % Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Presque Isle, ME | 8,772 | 58.2% |
| 2 | Caribou, ME | 7,454 | 58.2% |
| 3 | Brewer, ME | 9,633 | 52.0% |
| 4 | Bangor, ME | 31,705 | 52.0% |
| 5 | Old Town, ME | 7,458 | 52.0% |
| 6 | Auburn, ME | 24,038 | 49.3% |
| 7 | Lewiston, ME | 37,577 | 49.3% |
| 8 | Waterville, ME | 15,785 | 47.8% |
| 9 | Augusta, ME | 18,938 | 47.8% |
| 10 | Gardiner, ME | 5,994 | 47.8% |
| 11 | Belfast, ME | 6,953 | 45.6% |
| 12 | Ellsworth, ME | 8,478 | 42.0% |
| 13 | Biddeford, ME | 22,438 | 41.8% |
| 14 | Saco, ME | 20,446 | 41.8% |
| 15 | Bath, ME | 8,775 | 40.2% |
| 16 | Rockland, ME | 6,986 | 38.3% |
| 17 | Westbrook, ME | 20,339 | 30.4% |
| 18 | South Portland, ME | 26,656 | 30.4% |
| 19 | Portland, ME | 68,280 | 30.4% |