There’s no denying it: there are plenty of places in Maine that are downright beautiful and full of excitement.
Unfortunately, not all towns and cities in Pine Tree State are so lucky.
Just like in all U.S. States, there are definitely some boring places within Maine’s’ borders. You know the places where everyone has an AARP card and the most exciting thing they do all day is post a picture of their grandchild on Facebook.
Like Calais, for instance. In our latest analysis, we found that this city was the most boring city in all of Oklahoma according to Saturday Night Science. But don’t feel bad if you’re a resident of Calais. There are plenty of other boring, lackluster places in Maine as well.
Here they are. Try not to jump out of your seat with excitement.
Don’t freak out, in fact, believe it not, a boring city is actually one a lot of people would like to call home.
Before you get all upset if your city’s name is on the list, rest assured that we didn’t use personal opinion when it comes to what classifies a city or town as “boring” or “exciting”. We crunched actual numbers to figure out which towns are statistically more boring.
Showing this data to you is the kind of thing that a real estate agent knows, but would never share.
For more Maine reading, check out:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Boring Places In Maine For 2023
/10
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Average Age: 52.2
% Married: 33.0%
More on Caribou: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Average Age: 44.5
% Married: 34.0%
More on Presque Isle: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Average Age: 43.5
% Married: 27.0%
More on Ellsworth: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Average Age: 60.3
% Married: 20.0%
More on Belfast: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Average Age: 43.2
% Married: 24.0%
More on Saco: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Average Age: 44.9
% Married: 19.0%
More on Augusta: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Average Age: 39.0
% Married: 30.0%
More on Brewer: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Average Age: 43.5
% Married: 26.0%
More on Bath: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Average Age: 43.2
% Married: 33.0%
More on Gardiner: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How we determined the boring cities in the Pine Tree State
You would present the following case to your friends if you were argueing with them at a bar about the most boring place to live in Maine. And that’s why we call it Saturday Night Science.
Because our data speaks more truth than feelings.
To figure out how boring a place is, we factored in things we generally think make people exciting, and then we figure out which cities have the least number of those exciting people.
We used the U.S. American Community Census data to gather the information presented here. HSome of the things people tend to think of as making a city’s population boring include:
- % of Population Over 25 (higher is more boring)
- % of Married Household (higher is more boring)
- Average Age (higher is more boring)
- % of Households With Kids (higher is more boring)
- Population density (lower is more boring)
Then, our algorithm generates a ranking for each place in these categories. After crunching the numbers, all of the cities ranked from most boring to most exciting.
For this ranking, we used every Maine city with at least 2,000 residents. This keeps us from prejudicing our rankings by including very small pockets of retired people.
Grab your rocker and hold on.
We updated this article for 2023, and it’s our tenth time ranking the most boring cities in Maine.
There You Have It – Now That You’re Asleep
On a ranking like this, there are usually no winners, but since Maine isn’t necessarily the most boring state in the United States, the cities on this ranking can at least take solace that there are, in fact, more boring cities in the country.
If you’re also curious enough, here are the most exciting places in Maine, according to science:
- Portland
- Biddeford
- Waterville
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
Detailed List Of The Most Boring Cities In Maine For 2023
| Rank | City | Population | Average Age | % Married | % Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calais, ME | 3,078 | 49.9 | 25.0% | 23.8% |
| 2 | Caribou, ME | 7,454 | 52.2 | 33.0% | 19.6% |
| 3 | Presque Isle, ME | 8,772 | 44.5 | 34.0% | 22.1% |
| 4 | Ellsworth, ME | 8,478 | 43.5 | 27.0% | 20.8% |
| 5 | Belfast, ME | 6,953 | 60.3 | 20.0% | 18.5% |
| 6 | Saco, ME | 20,446 | 43.2 | 24.0% | 28.6% |
| 7 | Augusta, ME | 18,938 | 44.9 | 19.0% | 21.7% |
| 8 | Brewer, ME | 9,633 | 39.0 | 30.0% | 25.6% |
| 9 | Bath, ME | 8,775 | 43.5 | 26.0% | 24.0% |
| 10 | Gardiner, ME | 5,994 | 43.2 | 33.0% | 20.6% |
| 11 | Hallowell, ME | 2,558 | 49.5 | 16.0% | 11.1% |
| 12 | Westbrook, ME | 20,339 | 37.7 | 26.0% | 23.1% |
| 13 | Auburn, ME | 24,038 | 39.4 | 25.0% | 24.6% |
| 14 | Rockland, ME | 6,986 | 45.3 | 16.0% | 17.6% |
| 15 | Lewiston, ME | 37,577 | 39.5 | 27.0% | 23.3% |
| 16 | South Portland, ME | 26,656 | 41.0 | 22.0% | 22.0% |
| 17 | Bangor, ME | 31,705 | 40.6 | 21.0% | 22.9% |
| 18 | Waterville, ME | 15,785 | 35.2 | 23.0% | 25.7% |
| 19 | Biddeford, ME | 22,438 | 36.8 | 21.0% | 19.7% |
| 20 | Portland, ME | 68,280 | 37.6 | 13.0% | 17.5% |
These were horrible metrics to use for Maine cities, as they’re all small compared to other states. Also, you are missing the mark big time with ‘old people’ = 35+ = boring.
What you needed to include was if there are restaurants, entertainment venues (bars, playhouses, etc.), non big-box store shopping, recreational opportunities (hello kayaking on the Kennebec when the sturgeon jump next to your boat).
But maybe I’m just boring. I’m over 50, live in #11 and work in #9 and play in #5.
Don’t listen to Lisa, she’s totally boring.
She’s right about the entertainment venues though – nothing is more boring than young unmarried kidless adults sitting around at home watching TV. That kind of boredom leads to online fluff pieces using silly statistics to rank things.
Calais? Doesn’t count-not in the U.S.
So the least boring is: a community of 18-35 y/o (preferably all 18 y/o), unmarried and without kids.
Isn’t this where Pinocchio went and became a jack ass?
I grew up almost equidistant between #1 and #4… and #4 was the only place to go to do ANYTHING. Is it any wonder I escaped as soon as I turned 18?
Spot on….hopefully all the tourists read that, and go elsewhere.
Maine the way Life should be
I never really considered if a place could be boring. I must be one of those boring old peoples. Bangor came out 20th, home of Stephen King and his radio stations, does that rate for anything? We even have a MM Dispensary, now that can’t be boring. One should note, Bangor has a police and fire department, and even a post office, that’s more than some towns have. I think life is what you make it. At least Bar Harbor didn’t make this hot list.
The fact that there is nothing here from Piscataquis County tells me that you have no idea what you are talking about.
Little known fact: There ARE people who live north and west of I-95 in Maine.
How do you know when your state is boring? hmmm let me think. Perhaps if you take a look at the headlines in the BDN . Meth labs, drunk drivers, methadone clinics, booze sold in supermarkets and convenience stores on every corner.pot is the greatest thing since hot buttered popcorn. Trans genders need a place to woo woo ( how many are there to disrupt an entire school system 2 ? ) Shall I go on or do you get the point. That’s why I moved 1500 miles away. For reference, I can trace my ancestry to Maine as far back as the revolutionary war.