Maine Two Largest Cities Get Mixed Grades in National Retirement Study

I'm sure you've heard that we're old up here.

In fact, Maine has the oldest population in the entire United States. According to Oldest.org (what a name), 21.8% of the state’s population is 65 years or older, an astounding number.

So, with these factors, one would assume that Maine must be an ideal location to retire. Well, yes and no—at least according to a new report.

WalletHub.com, a personal finance website, recently published a report on the best cities to retire in. Both Portland and Lewiston were included, and let's just say the results were mixed.

Are Portland and Lewiston Good Cities to Retire in?

Portland did very well, coming in 24th overall and ranking as the highest city in New England. Lewiston, however, landed at 91st out of the 182 cities and towns surveyed. WalletHub’s report included America’s 150 largest cities, plus at least two of the largest cities in each state.

Portland earned a total score of 53.65, while Lewiston scored 47.36. The scoring is based on a 100-point system across four major categories: Affordability, Activities, Healthcare, and Quality of Life. These categories were further broken into 45 subcategories to make the rankings as detailed as possible.

Portland performed relatively well in three categories. The city ranked 30th in Quality of Life, 27th in Healthcare, and 24th in Activities—its strongest ranking. However, Portland’s overall position dropped significantly due to its massive struggle with affordability, which should surprise nobody. The city finished with a dreadful 132nd ranking in that category.

Lewiston did better than Portland in Affordability (103rd) and Quality of Life (24th), but the city only managed 89th in Healthcare and a rough 141st in Activities. I do find this a little harsh. It’s tough for any small city to compete with more populous areas in certain categories, though WalletHub does use “per capita” measures to keep things as fair as possible.

Overall, I feel Portland is fairly ranked. There is a wealth of things to do for those with extra time on their hands. However, until housing and food costs drastically change, affordability will continue to be a major stain.

As for Lewiston, I do think it’s improving, which is great to see. This is a city that has had its struggles but seems to have found some footing.

What are the Best Cities in America to Retire in?

According to WalletHub, the number one city to retire in is Orlando, Florida. It narrowly beat out Scottsdale, Arizona, for the top spot. The rest of the top five includes Minneapolis, Minnesota, and two more Florida cities: Miami and Tampa.

Dead last on the survey is San Bernardino, California. Hey, at least it’s not somewhere in Mississippi for once.

You can see the full list here.