In short
The median value of owner-occupied homes is $341,900 in Maine and $555,100 in the city of Portland, against $360,600 nationwide (Census ACS 2024). On the FHFA index, Maine prices up 1.1% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026, and up 47.2% over five years.
What it costs: median value in 2024
| Area | Median value, 2024 | Margin of error (90%) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $360,600 | ±$618 |
| Maine | $341,900 | ±$4,987 |
| Portland–South Portland metro area | $474,200 | ±$8,483 |
| Cumberland County | $500,700 | ±$19,186 |
| City of Portland | $555,100 | ±$47,628 |
Source: Census ACS 2024, table B25077; owners’ own estimates, not sale prices.
Three points stand out:
- The Maine median is $18,700 below the national median.
- The city of Portland sits $213,200 above the Maine median, $80,900 above the Portland–South Portland metro median and $54,400 above the Cumberland County median.
- The margin of error for the city of Portland (±$47,628) is wide, because the sample is small. The true city median is very likely between about $507,500 and $602,700. Treat the city figure as an order of magnitude, not a precise number.
How prices have moved: the FHFA index
| Area | 1-year change (Q2 2025 to Q2 2026) | 5-year change (Q2 2021 to Q2 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | +2.1% | +33.4% |
| Maine | +1.1% | +47.2% |
Source: FHFA HPI, purchase-only, Q2 2026 (release of August 25, 2026); changes by Payotte.
Maine prices rose more slowly than the nation’s over the past year, but far faster over five years: 47.2% against 33.4%. FHFA’s purchase-only metro file covers only about 100 large metro areas, and the Portland–South Portland metro area is not among them, so we give no FHFA trend for Portland itself.
A worked example
Take a Maine home worth $300,000 in the second quarter of 2021. Tracking the Maine index exactly, it would have been worth about $441,500 in the second quarter of 2026 (+47.2%). Over the last year alone, it would have gained about 1.1%. A single home can differ widely from the index.
How to use these figures when buying
Related: Maine closing costs guide, buying a home in Portland and Maine first-time buyer programs.
Method and dataset
ACS median value. ACS 1-Year 2024, table B25077. Geographies: United States (0100000US), Maine (0400000US23), Portland–South Portland, ME metro area (310M700US38860), Cumberland County (0500000US23005), Portland city (1600000US2360545). Read through the data.census.gov API on October 13, 2026. The definition of value comes from the ACS 2024 Subject Definitions.
FHFA index. FHFA HPI (purchase-only, seasonally adjusted), files hpi_po_state.txt (Maine) and hpi_po_us_and_census.txt (USA). Index values used: Maine 489.90 (Q2 2025), 336.58 (Q2 2021) and 495.35 (Q2 2026); United States 426.58, 326.58 and 435.69.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median home value in Maine?
Maine’s 2024 ACS median home value is $341,900 (±$4,987), against $360,600 for the nation: owners’ own estimates, not sale prices.
What is the median home value in Portland, Maine?
For the city of Portland, the 2024 ACS median value is $555,100 (±$47,628). Cumberland County is at $500,700 and the Portland–South Portland metro area at $474,200.
Are Maine home prices going up or down?
FHFA’s purchase-only index shows Maine prices rose 1.1% over the year to Q2 2026, and 47.2% over five years. The national index rose 2.1% and 33.4% over the same periods.
How Maine compares with the other States
Maine ranks 25th of 50 for median home value ($341,900), 5% below the national $360,600.
The States closest in median value are Georgia ($343,300) and Wyoming ($339,500). The range runs from $170,800 in West Virginia to $875,900 in Hawaii; Maine is $2,400 above the middle of that ranking (Wyoming).
On the FHFA index, Maine prices rose 1.1% over the year to the second quarter of 2026, which places the State 35th of 50, 1 points behind the national +2.1%. Over five years the gain is +47.2% (4th of 50; nation +33.4%).
Maine sits in the middle of the pack on at least one of the two measures: 25th for the level, 35th for the one-year change.
Over five years, Maine's +47.2% annualises to +8% a year (nation +5.9%). The latest year (+1.1%) is 6.9 points under that average, a slower pace than the five-year average.
Portland, the main city, has a median of $555,100, 11th of the 49 main cities Payotte covers. That is 62% above the Maine median, a premium that ranks 5th of 49.
The one-year FHFA change runs from -1.2% in New Mexico to +8.3% in Alaska. Maine (+1.1%) is 7.2 points below the top and 2.3 above the bottom; Utah (+1.1%) and Arkansas (+1.1%) are the nearest to it.
For scale, 20% of the Maine median is $68,380, against $72,120 at the national median.
Compare with the other states: Median home price by state.
More Maine guides
- Closing costs in Maine: what buyers and sellers pay
- Maine real estate transfer tax: rate, who pays, exemptions
- How Maine property tax works and what the homestead saves
- Seller disclosure requirements in Maine
- Do you need a real estate attorney to close in Maine?
- Foreclosure process in Maine: steps, timeline and help
- First-time home buyer programs in Maine: MaineHousing
- How to verify a real estate license in Maine
Sources
- Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year 2024, table B25077 (consulted October 13, 2026)
- Census Bureau, 2025 ACS release schedule (consulted October 13, 2026)
- American Community Survey 2024 Subject Definitions (U.S. Census Bureau) (consulted October 13, 2026)
- FHFA news release, August 25, 2026 (consulted October 13, 2026)
- FHFA HPI datasets (quarterly, purchase-only) (consulted October 13, 2026)