In a surprising shift, younger people are moving to Maine, but many of them struggle to find affordable housing

Maine's long winters could reverse population
gains.(Photo by Tristan Spinski, The New York Times)

In 2019, no one could have predicted a population swing into Maine, a state where deaths had long outnumbered births, reports Jenna Russell of The New York Times. "Population shifts — even small ones — carry high stakes in this rural, sparsely populated state. . . . . Maine had the oldest population in the nation in 2020. . . . But the latest census numbers suggest Maine has been thrown an unexpected lifeline. In a milestone few would have imagined, it was the only state in the country where the median age declined from 2020 to 2021, the state economist said, largely the result of younger people moving in."

That's good news for Maine, but here's the snag: "In every Maine county except one, 'the average house price is unaffordable to the average income household,' according to a report last fall by the state housing authority," Russell reports. "In Searsport, Maine, pop. 2,700, the effects of the influx have been far-reaching. Housing prices were already on the rise, but the sudden surge in interest from outsiders cranked up new pressure on the market. . . . The squeeze affects a wide spectrum of workers."

Russell writes: "The latest state budget proposed by Gov. Janet Mills includes $30 million for new affordable housing, targeting rural areas, on top of $70 million in new investments last year. . . . Experts say it is too soon to know if pandemic-driven population gains will continue, hold steady or dwindle . . . . Andrew Crawley, an economist at the University of Maine said school enrollment may be ticking up, but so far, the results are inconclusive." Crawley told Russell, "For now, it’s a blip, not a trend — but even as a blip, it’s incredible, and if it holds steady, then it’s huge. For those arguing we need more people, more nurses, more teachers, more plumbers, this is good news; the question is if it will continue."

New York Times map

Chris Gardner, a county commissioner who hopes the state will seize the moment and send recruiters nationwide to tout Maine’s charms, told Russell, “Rural America has been found again, and it’s an opportunity for us.” Russell opines, "New businesses bring new jobs, but the lack of housing can make workers hard to keep. Frustrated by job vacancies, one restaurant owner in Lincolnville, 20 miles south of Searsport, bought an inn last year to house employees — a solution few here can afford."