Poverty Rates in Maine
The State's Poorest Residents Live Away from the Coast
Maine has a poverty rate of 11.5%, giving it and Idaho the 27th highest poverty rate in the United States. This is slightly better than the poverty rates of Rhode Island and Washington, but slightly worse than Pennsylvania.
Where the Worst Poverty in Maine Occurs
For the most part, the poverty in Maine stays relatively close to the state average. There is only one county in which the poverty rate reaches critical levels (at least 50% above the state average).
The county where the poverty rate reaches a critical level is Washington County, a mostly rural county located in the easternmost section of the state (see map below article). The poverty rate in Washington County is 17.4%.
Washington County may be the only place in Maine with a critical poverty rate; however, all three of Maine’s major cities have poverty rates above the state average as well. Their poverty rates are the following:
- Bangor (16.6%)
- Lewiston (15.5%)
- Portland (14.1%)
Also, all of the other northern rural counties such as Aroostook, Somerset, Piscataquis, Penobscot, Franklin, Oxford, Waldo, Androscoggin, and Kennebec have poverty rates above the state average as well.
This leaves small towns outside of the major cities along the southern coast of Maine to be the only areas with poverty rates below the state average.
Why the Worst Poverty in Maine Exists
Since the areas with the highest poverty rates in Maine occur both in major cities and in northern rural areas, it is important to realize the reasons behind both.
In rural areas like those of northern Maine, it can be much more difficult to access basic utilities such as electricity, water, and a sanitary sewage system than it is in urban areas.
Also, due to poor road maintenance, long distances, or lack of reliable transportation, it can be much more difficult to reach a school or hospital in some areas of northern Maine.
In the major cities of Maine, however, the higher poverty rates can be linked to a different set of causes.
In heavily populated urban areas, people are completely reliant on the market for all of their most basic needs. These needs include things like food, shelter, utilities, education, and health care.
Most people living in poverty do work one or more jobs. However, if the cost of these basic needs goes up at a faster rate than the minimum wage, then the working poor living in these highly populated urban areas suffer.
All of this aside, it is important to keep in mind that the reasons for poverty are as unique as the individuals who live through it. Though finding trends in a specific area is important, no generalization can account for everyone.
What is Being Done about Poverty in Maine
A lot of the organizations working to improve the situation in Maine are smaller community-driven organizations.
Some of these include organizations such as the Maine Community Foundation, the Literary Volunteers of Maine, the Maine Children’s Alliance, and the Maine Center for Economic Policy.
In the urban areas of Maine such as the cities of Portland, Bangor, and Lewiston, people have access to a host of other national charitable and outreach organizations.
These organizations include Save the Children, Poverty USA, Meals on Wheels, the Boys and Girls Club, and many other organizations.
Other allies of the working poor in Maine’s major cities include legislators who worked to raise the minimum wage. With a higher minimum wage, many more of urban Maine’s poor will be able to support themselves without public or private assistance.
References:
United States Census Bureau
Maine Community Action Association, Inc.
