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MEMaine rankings

Safest towns in Maine

Ranked by crime reported to police per 1,000 residents, averaged over 2023–2025, with violent crimes counted four times as heavily as property crimes. Lower is safer. 78 towns with 2,500+ residents whose police reported every year.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Buxton
Maine · Safest

Where Buxton lands: #33 of 78

10.0 weighted reported crimes per 1,000 residents · Visit Buxton →

1 Richmond Sagadahoc County 1.3 Violent 0.1 per 1,000 Eliot 2 Eliot York County 1.9 Violent 0.0 per 1,000 Monmouth 3 Monmouth Kennebec County 2.1 Violent 0.1 per 1,000
#TownWeighted crime rateViolentProperty
1 RichmondSagadahoc County · 3,566 people 1.3 0.1 per 1,000 0.9 per 1,000
2 Eliot EliotYork County · 7,146 people 1.9 0.0 per 1,000 1.8 per 1,000
3 Monmouth MonmouthKennebec County · 4,162 people 2.1 0.1 per 1,000 1.7 per 1,000
4 Map of Cumberland CumberlandCumberland County · 8,647 people 2.2 0.1 per 1,000 1.9 per 1,000
5 Orono OronoPenobscot County · 11,902 people 2.4 0.3 per 1,000 1.4 per 1,000
6 Cape Elizabeth Cape ElizabethCumberland County · 9,606 people 2.6 0.2 per 1,000 1.6 per 1,000
7 LincolnPenobscot County · 4,890 people 3.9 0.2 per 1,000 3.1 per 1,000
8 Gorham GorhamCumberland County · 18,300 people 4.2 0.2 per 1,000 3.4 per 1,000
9 Hallowell Hallowell2,592 people 4.6 0.3 per 1,000 3.6 per 1,000
10 Sabattus SabattusAndroscoggin County · 5,116 people 4.8 0.6 per 1,000 2.4 per 1,000
11 Hampden HampdenPenobscot County · 7,896 people 4.9 0.1 per 1,000 4.4 per 1,000
12 South Berwick South BerwickYork County · 7,670 people 5.2 0.3 per 1,000 3.8 per 1,000
13 HoldenPenobscot County · 3,352 people 5.5 0.2 per 1,000 4.8 per 1,000
14 Fort Kent Fort KentAroostook County · 4,150 people 5.6 0.4 per 1,000 4.0 per 1,000
15 Yarmouth YarmouthCumberland County · 9,053 people 5.8 0.6 per 1,000 3.6 per 1,000
16 Map of Madawaska MadawaskaAroostook County · 3,853 people 6.0 0.3 per 1,000 4.9 per 1,000
17 Dover-Foxcroft Dover-FoxcroftPiscataquis County · 4,506 people 6.0 0.2 per 1,000 5.1 per 1,000
18 Camden CamdenKnox County · 5,242 people 6.6 0.0 per 1,000 6.6 per 1,000
19 North Berwick North BerwickYork County · 5,129 people 6.8 1.0 per 1,000 3.0 per 1,000
20 Bar Harbor Bar HarborHancock County · 5,244 people 6.9 0.5 per 1,000 4.9 per 1,000
21 YorkYork County · 13,986 people 6.9 0.5 per 1,000 4.9 per 1,000
22 Clinton ClintonKennebec County · 3,385 people 7.0 0.9 per 1,000 3.4 per 1,000
23 Falmouth FalmouthCumberland County · 12,755 people 7.0 0.4 per 1,000 5.4 per 1,000
24 Kennebunkport KennebunkportYork County · 3,684 people 7.4 0.5 per 1,000 5.6 per 1,000
25 Rockport RockportKnox County · 3,675 people 7.4 0.4 per 1,000 6.0 per 1,000
26 Kennebunk KennebunkYork County · 11,820 people 7.6 0.6 per 1,000 5.4 per 1,000
27 Belfast Belfast6,986 people 7.8 0.3 per 1,000 6.5 per 1,000
28 Map of Lisbon LisbonAndroscoggin County · 9,750 people 8.6 0.7 per 1,000 5.7 per 1,000
29 Oakland OaklandKennebec County · 6,309 people 8.6 0.4 per 1,000 6.9 per 1,000
30 Bucksport BucksportHancock County · 5,016 people 9.5 0.6 per 1,000 7.1 per 1,000
31 Windham WindhamCumberland County · 19,188 people 9.7 0.7 per 1,000 7.0 per 1,000
32 Bath Bath8,815 people 9.8 0.4 per 1,000 8.2 per 1,000
33 Buxton BuxtonYork County · 8,512 people 10.0 0.9 per 1,000 6.6 per 1,000
34 Map of Waldoboro WaldoboroLincoln County · 5,253 people 10.3 0.4 per 1,000 8.9 per 1,000
35 Fryeburg FryeburgOxford County · 3,489 people 10.4 0.5 per 1,000 8.6 per 1,000
36 Berwick BerwickYork County · 8,175 people 10.5 1.0 per 1,000 6.3 per 1,000
37 Wells WellsYork County · 11,713 people 10.9 0.6 per 1,000 8.3 per 1,000
38 Dexter DexterPenobscot County · 3,822 people 11.7 0.7 per 1,000 8.9 per 1,000
39 Old Town Old Town7,470 people 11.8 0.2 per 1,000 10.9 per 1,000
40 Winthrop WinthropKennebec County · 6,191 people 11.8 0.3 per 1,000 10.7 per 1,000
41 Fort Fairfield Fort FairfieldAroostook County · 3,309 people 11.9 1.7 per 1,000 5.0 per 1,000
42 Freeport FreeportCumberland County · 8,802 people 12.0 0.4 per 1,000 10.5 per 1,000
43 Calais Calais3,097 people 12.1 0.4 per 1,000 10.3 per 1,000
44 Topsham TopshamSagadahoc County · 9,706 people 12.6 0.3 per 1,000 11.2 per 1,000
45 Kittery KitteryYork County · 10,473 people 12.6 0.3 per 1,000 11.4 per 1,000
46 Wilton WiltonFranklin County · 3,862 people 12.8 1.6 per 1,000 6.3 per 1,000
47 Map of Scarborough ScarboroughCumberland County · 23,215 people 12.8 0.6 per 1,000 10.5 per 1,000
48 Map of Wiscasset WiscassetLincoln County · 3,874 people 12.9 1.3 per 1,000 7.9 per 1,000
49 Winslow WinslowKennebec County · 8,023 people 13.0 1.1 per 1,000 8.7 per 1,000
50 Brunswick BrunswickCumberland County · 22,336 people 13.6 0.8 per 1,000 10.4 per 1,000
51 Paris ParisOxford County · 5,317 people 13.7 1.1 per 1,000 9.2 per 1,000
52 Gardiner Gardiner6,088 people 14.1 1.0 per 1,000 10.0 per 1,000
53 Saco Saco20,819 people 14.8 0.8 per 1,000 11.7 per 1,000
54 South Portland South Portland26,930 people 14.9 0.8 per 1,000 11.9 per 1,000
55 Newport NewportPenobscot County · 3,143 people 15.2 0.4 per 1,000 13.5 per 1,000
56 Mechanic Falls Mechanic FallsAndroscoggin County · 3,134 people 15.2 1.5 per 1,000 9.3 per 1,000
57 Jay JayFranklin County · 4,657 people 16.2 1.8 per 1,000 9.1 per 1,000
58 Old Orchard Beach Old Orchard BeachYork County · 9,244 people 16.6 1.5 per 1,000 10.5 per 1,000
59 Norway NorwayOxford County · 5,228 people 16.7 0.4 per 1,000 15.0 per 1,000
60 Houlton HoultonAroostook County · 6,056 people 17.0 0.5 per 1,000 15.0 per 1,000
61 Farmington FarmingtonFranklin County · 8,157 people 18.6 1.3 per 1,000 13.3 per 1,000
62 Westbrook Westbrook20,775 people 18.6 1.7 per 1,000 11.8 per 1,000
63 Map of Rockland Rockland7,035 people 20.1 1.5 per 1,000 14.1 per 1,000
64 Brewer Brewer9,652 people 20.2 0.3 per 1,000 19.0 per 1,000
65 Fairfield FairfieldSomerset County · 6,519 people 20.4 1.2 per 1,000 15.7 per 1,000
66 Rumford RumfordOxford County · 5,942 people 23.0 1.6 per 1,000 16.5 per 1,000
67 Lewiston Lewiston38,324 people 26.0 2.7 per 1,000 15.3 per 1,000
68 Livermore Falls Livermore FallsAndroscoggin County · 3,102 people 27.5 1.9 per 1,000 19.8 per 1,000
69 Portland Portland68,854 people 30.2 2.5 per 1,000 20.4 per 1,000
70 Ellsworth Ellsworth8,657 people 30.4 1.7 per 1,000 23.8 per 1,000
71 Auburn Auburn24,602 people 30.6 2.0 per 1,000 22.7 per 1,000
72 Presque Isle Presque Isle8,736 people 31.2 2.2 per 1,000 22.4 per 1,000
73 Sanford Sanford22,247 people 32.0 1.8 per 1,000 24.9 per 1,000
74 Waterville Waterville17,077 people 35.8 1.5 per 1,000 30.0 per 1,000
75 Biddeford Biddeford22,498 people 36.3 3.0 per 1,000 24.3 per 1,000
76 Oxford OxfordOxford County · 4,333 people 38.4 0.7 per 1,000 35.7 per 1,000
77 Bangor Bangor31,938 people 47.8 1.9 per 1,000 40.2 per 1,000
78 Augusta Augusta19,077 people 49.4 2.5 per 1,000 39.3 per 1,000

How this ranking works

For each town we add up the violent and property crimes its police reported to the FBI over 2023–2025 and divide by the population they served, giving a rate per 1,000 residents. Violent crimes (homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault) count four times as much as property crimes (burglary, theft, vehicle theft and arson), because they weigh more on how safe a place feels. The lowest weighted rate ranks #1.

These are crimes reported to police, not convictions, and towns with a campus, highway, beach or shopping center also count incidents involving visitors. A town is ranked only if its police department reported a full year in every one of these years; towns patrolled by a county sheriff or state police don't have their own figures. There is no “most dangerous” list, on purpose.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, offenses known to law enforcement by city. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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