Mainebiz Special Editions

V O L . X X V I N O. X V I 34 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine Q UA L I T Y O F L I F E | H O U S I N G $0 $40K $80K $120K $160K $200K '17 '16 '15 '14 '13 '12 '11 '10 Median price Annual sales 0 4K 8K 12K 16K 20K $0 $40K $80K $120K $160K $200K '17 '16 '15 '14 '13 '12 '11 '10 Median price Annual sales 0 4K 8K 12K 16K 20K Annual home sales and median price 1 1 Based on real estate broker transactions. S O U R C E : Maine Real Estate Information System Inc. Annual Maine home sales, 1 by county Ranked by sales of existing single-family homes, 2017 Units sold 2017 Units sold 2016 Percent change, 2016–2017 2017 median sales price 2016 median sales price Percent change, 2016–2017 1 Cumberland 4,096 4,252 −3.67% $285,000 $265,000 7.55% 2 York 3,120 3,122 −0.06% $257,000 $239,000 7.82% 3 Penobscot 1,723 1,672 3.05% $140,000 $133,000 5.26% 4 Kennebec 1,530 1,453 5.30% $150,000 $145,000 3.45% 5 Androscoggin 1,119 1,109 0.90% $154,000 $146,700 4.98% 6 Oxford 834 817 2.08% $147,000 $142,000 3.52% 7 Hancock 804 779 3.21% $210,000 $194,000 8.25% 8 Lincoln 566 595 −4.87% $215,250 $210,000 2.50% 9 Knox 613 573 6.98% $204,000 $212,000 −3.77% 10 Aroostook 556 563 −1.24% $82,250 $82,500 −0.30% 11 Somerset 580 545 6.42% $111,850 $100,000 11.85% 12 Sagadahoc 494 499 −1.00% $213,950 $198,000 8.06% 13 Waldo 491 492 −0.20% $170,000 $159,950 6.28% 14 Franklin 456 392 16.33% $129,000 $125,625 2.69% 15 Washington 363 343 5.83% $115,000 $95,000 21.05% 16 Piscataquis 288 301 −4.32% $105,000 $85,000 23.53% MAINE 17,633 17,507 0.72% $200,000 $189,400 5.60% 1 Based on real estate broker transactions. S O U R C E : Maine Real Estate Information System Inc. Mobile home Studio One bedroom Two bedroom Three bedroom Four bedroom Five bedroom Bangor $375 $666 $740 $938 $1,176 $1,589 $1,827 Lewiston/Auburn $339 $608 $668 $847 $1,077 $1,328 $1,527 Portland $539 $962 $1,054 $1,348 $1,805 $2,064 $2,408 York/Kittery/South Berwick $502 $801 $944 $1,256 $1,575 $2,212 $2,544 Fair market rents for existing housing in Maine, by MSA Rates effective Dec. 1, 2017 Single-family home building permits 2004 through February 2020 Amounts include the cost of utilities. S O U R C E : MaineHousing Fair market rent Gross rents for typical, non-substandard rental units occupied by recent movers in a local hous- ing market, established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Metropolitan statistical area (MSA) The Census Bureau defines a metropolitan area as a core area containing a large popu- lation nucleus, together with adjacent com- munities having a high degree of economic and social interaction with that core. The title of each MSA includes the names of up to three of its central cities. Occupancy rate, 2016 Occupancy rate, 2012 1 Androscoggin 90.8% 89.9% 2 Kennebec 83.8% 84.1% 3 Cumberland 83.8% 85.0% 4 Sagadahoc 83.6% 81.0% 5 Penobscot 83.5% 85.1% 6 Waldo 77.8% 76.6% 7 Aroostook 76.9% 77.0% 8 York 76.8% 76.4% 9 Knox 71.2% 71.0% 10 Somerset 71.0% 71.5% 11 Lincoln 63.0% 64.1% 12 Washington 61.4% 61.2% 13 Hancock 60.3% 59.6% 14 Oxford 60.0% 64.2% 15 Franklin 54.1% 56.5% 16 Piscataquis 48.9% 50.8% MAINE 76.2% 76.7% Maine housing occupancy rates Ranked by county-wide occupancy rate, 2012–2016 S O U R C E : U.S. Census Bureau, 2012–2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates DEFINITIONS S O U R C E : U.S. Census 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 8,383 8,765 7,304 5,690 3,573 2,766 2,962 2,299 2,788 3,212 3,281 3,688 4,164 4,607 4,570 4,944 707 through February In 1952, Helen and Scott Nearing moved to Cape Rosier, where they later built Forest Farm in Harborside. With books like "The Good Life" and "The Maple Sugar Book" they pioneered the back-to- land movement, inspiring young people to move to Maine's rural areas and create their own homesteads. Maine's nostalgic appeal as a place of rugged independence and beauty was commercially positioned in the "Maine: The Way Life Should Be" sign that began greeting visitors in the 1980s. Today, the sign reads "Welcome Home." 200 200 IDEAS FOR MAINE'S BICENTENNIAL 200 200 IDEAS FOR MAINE'S BICENTENNIAL

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