Rent Affordability for A Chef in Maine
A typical chef in Maine earns about $59,660 a year, which supports approximately $1,492 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked Maine city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.
As of May 2026. 2 of 25 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 23 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presque Isle, ME | $1,025/mo | 20.6% | affordable |
| Waterville, ME | $1,377/mo | 27.7% | affordable |
| Lewiston, ME | $1,529/mo | 30.8% | stretched |
| Auburn, ME | $1,581/mo | 31.8% | stretched |
| Bangor, ME | $1,586/mo | 31.9% | stretched |
| Augusta, ME | $1,602/mo | 32.2% | stretched |
| Orono, ME | $1,625/mo | 32.7% | stretched |
| Rockland, ME | $1,688/mo | 34% | stretched |
| Sanford, ME | $1,768/mo | 35.6% | stretched |
| Bath, ME | $1,838/mo | 37% | stretched |
| Old Town, ME | $1,839/mo | 37% | stretched |
| Old Orchard Beach, ME | $1,889/mo | 38% | stretched |
| Springvale, ME | $1,895/mo | 38.1% | stretched |
| Biddeford, ME | $2,003/mo | 40.3% | rent-burdened |
| Saco, ME | $2,040/mo | 41% | rent-burdened |
| Brunswick, ME | $2,156/mo | 43.4% | rent-burdened |
| Gorham, ME | $2,175/mo | 43.7% | rent-burdened |
| Yarmouth, ME | $2,384/mo | 48% | rent-burdened |
| Portland, ME | $2,438/mo | 49% | rent-burdened |
| Kittery, ME | $2,495/mo | 50.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| South Portland, ME | $2,611/mo | 52.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Freeport, ME | $2,658/mo | 53.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Scarborough, ME | $2,742/mo | 55.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Falmouth, ME | $3,025/mo | 60.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Cape Elizabeth, ME | $3,166/mo | 63.7% | severely rent-burdened |