next_migration

[Regarding Maine, note my previously expressed concern about the current population and limited agricultural productivity of this entire region. Not many people should move here.] Mainers have traditionally been a special breed. Many do very hard work in harsh environments on land or sea. The region is poor and insular, with a distinctive culture and accent (notwithstanding the recent “Southernification” of rural areas), and outsiders stick out. If you’re going to move to Maine from anyplace farther away than New Hampshire, show up wearing Carhartts and be ready to work hard without complaining for a long time to fit in. The biggest city is Portland, which at 68,000 people is hardly a teeming metropolis. I exclude ridiculously expensive suburbs of Portland from consideration, but housing is pricey in the state in general, and anyplace that’s farther south and has ocean views is substantially costlier than inland towns. The options that might seem most reasonable to the middle or working classes include the following, which are mostly well above sea level except as noted.

o Portland is a coastal city with more professional jobs and cultural diversity than anywhere else in the state. It is a charming historic town with many amenities, gorgeous scenery, and fairly tolerant culture. The economy includes banking, finance, tourism, shipping, fishing, health care, manufacturing, advertising, and media or publishing. It is home to a public university campus, a law school, and the Maine College of Art. Professional salaries and the presence of rich New Yorkers have raised rent and housing prices to the point of being burdensome for the working classes. There is a regional bus service that includes routes to several suburbs, and an Amtrak stop.

o South Portland (26,000 people), also on the coast, is even pricier than Portland and also charming. The economy emphasizes retail, shipping, and manufacturing (including of semiconductors, with one business imposing large recent layoffs that may impact the economy). It has its own small bus service and a free beach (which, it seems, is hard to find in this area). There is a community college. While most of Portland is well above sea level, South Portland is a bit lower-lying and its shipping infrastructure might go underwater at some point.

o Westbrook (20,000 people) is a suburb just to the west of Portland, also pricey. The economy includes manufacturing (notably Idexx Laboratories), health care, and energy.

o Windham (18,000 people) is half an hour northwest of Portland. It’s also expensive, quiet and pleasant. Many residents commute to jobs in other communities. Local jobs (many filled by commuters from other towns, who perhaps can’t afford to live in Windham) are mostly in retail and services, government, health care and education, and a modest amount of manufacturing.

o Biddeford and Saco are south of Portland; both are historic mill towns. Biddeford (over 22,000 people), a coastal town, has limited jobs, often in service industries, and reported drug problems; nevertheless, housing prices are pretty high. The economy includes retail and tourism, health care, education (a private university with an osteopathic medical school), and telecommunications. The town is very white but pretty liberal.

o Saco (20,000 people) likewise has fairly high housing prices, including rent, but not necessarily wages. The economy includes tourism, manufacturing (including defense), seafood processing, retail, and education (including the private Thornton Academy). There is an Amtrak stop.

o Brunswick (22,000 people) is on the shore of Casco Bay northeast of Portland. It offers plenty of scenery and a pleasant small town. Housing is fairly expensive. The economy includes health care, manufacturing (including aerospace), a facility of the Bath Iron Works shipyard, IT, retail, and education (the small, historic Bowdoin College, a community college branch campus). Has an Amtrak stop.

o Lewiston and Auburn are north of Portland, well inland. Lewiston (37,000 people) is the second-largest city in Maine and has markedly lower housing prices than the southern coastal cities. It has a strong French Canadian cultural influence, and some Somali immigrants who have opened businesses and run farms. The diverse economy includes health care, food processing, distribution, banking and insurance, IT, manufacturing, advertising, and hospitality. There is a state university branch campus and two private institutions. Parts of the town are rundown, and the schools may not be great. The bus system is shared with Auburn.

o Auburn (24,000 people) has issues similar to Lewiston if less severe: low wages, some drug problems, schools may not be fantastic. However, it’s nice enough to be a good home to many. The economy emphasizes health care, retail and other services, government jobs, and manufacturing (which has greatly declined over time). There is a community college. The bus system is shared with Lewiston.

o Augusta (19,000 people), the capital, is farther north. It has the same poverty-related issues - rundown neighborhoods, drugs, an elevated crime rate - and some suggest that minorities might not feel welcome. The economy includes state government employment, distribution, retail, health care, energy, manufacture, food processing, and education. Augusta is home to the University of Maine at Augusta. There’s a Thruway connection to Amtrak.

o Bangor (32,000 people) represents the northeasternmost densely populated area in Maine; there’s a lot of land north of the Bangor/Orono area but communities are almost all tiny (see below). Poverty, drugs, and homelessness are troublesome enough in Bangor that property crime is well above average; housing is affordable compared to the coastal communities, but maybe not for the many low-wage workers. The economy depends primarily on health care, retail and services, banking and finance, and manufacturing. Bangor has a University of Maine branch campus, two small private colleges, and a graduate seminary. The town is inland and most of the historic buildings have been lost, making it relatively unappealing to tourism; perhaps to compensate, a large casino has been built. Bangor hosts the annual State Fair. There’s a Thruway connection to Amtrak.

o Orono (11,000 people) is north of Bangor, located on two rivers. It’s a college town, home of the University of Maine, whose students about equal the townies in number. Education is by far the largest employment sector, and most of the rest is health care, retail, and services; there’s very little manufacturing. Orono has a pleasant downtown, with a few craft breweries, and low crime. There’s a Thruway connection to Amtrak.

o Two relatively large communities in the extreme northeast end of the state are Presque Isle and Caribou. Presque Isle (9000 people) has been declining in population. This is the home of the Aroostook Band of Micmac, but the town’s population is very white. Housing is cheap (let’s not think about heating bills), but wages are low. The economy includes health care, retail, agriculture, tourism (winter snowmobiling activities) and manufacturing. There’s a tiny University of Maine branch campus, a small private university, and a community college. There’s not much to do, but generally the community is safe and friendly.

o Caribou (7000 people) is similar but smaller and with fewer amenities. It’s almost 100% white. Agriculture, agribusiness, and food processing are major employers, but there is also tourism, retail, health care, manufacturing, and IT. There is, surprisingly given the town’s size and location, a well-used performing arts center. Schools are well regarded especially for their music program, and in summer there are regular public music events.

There are half a dozen bus companies that together provide services to most of the larger towns in Maine (including Presque Isle and Caribou), but information is not conveniently accessible, so trips from or to less-served communities would require some planning.