Do you need to earn over $60K to afford a fair market, 2-bedroom Maine apartment? | Fact brief
Yes.
A Maine household must earn over $60,000 annually to afford a two-bedroom apartment at the statewide fair market rate.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates Maine’s threshold at $67,224 a year, based on a monthly fair market rent of $1,681. It defines affordable housing as costing no more than 30% of household income.
Fair market rents are set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; they generally represent the 40th percentile of comparable rentals, meaning 40% cost less and 60% cost more.
The amount varies by location: A household needs about $85,200 in the Portland area and $66,360 in Bangor. Across Maine’s nonmetropolitan areas, the average needed is about $54,700.
Maine has the 19th-highest required wage to afford a two-bedroom rental among the states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Maine’s required wage is $32.32 an hour, below the national figure of $34.73.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Maine Trust for Local News partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
Sources
- National Low Income Housing Coalition: Maine
- National Low Income Housing Coalition: 2026 Out of Reach — Maine
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: HUD Fair Market Rents (40th Percentile Rents)
- National Low Income Housing Coalition: How Much Do You Need to Earn to Afford a Modest Apartment in Your State?
- National Low Income Housing Coalition: Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing 2026 (Pg. 10)
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Tagged: cost of living, rent control, rentals
