Opinions on making a move to Maine or New Hampshire (Portland: sales, real estate)
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Hey all, just wanted your opinions about both states if possible and to see which one would be a better fit for me
As a young(28) single guy just looking to rent one bedroom or studio, would it make more financial sense to move to Maine or NH?
I feel like rent is way higher in NH but maybe more money can be made there plus they have no income or sales tax so maybe NH is cheaper considering all of that?
I currently work for school system doing custodial/maintenance work in NJ and I’m just tired of all traffic and politics here plus it is so expensive here I’m looking to move somewhere more laid back and cheaper… I’m looking for a new type of job so nothing specific I felt jobs in Maine I’m seeing aren’t that bad maybe not as many but there are some decent ones out there, I’m more wondering what would be better areas to move to as a young single guy and where rent is cheaper, maybe like low 1000$ month range( I saw those prices in Augusta or outside of there and in Biddeford) I would probably like to be inbetween Portland and Augusta and not in Bangor or Ellsworth, I like idea of being closer to NH.
If anyone can give me reasons why NH would be better then Maine I’m willing to hear that as well.
The seacoast NH area is great as well, but prices have really gone up there, and even if you're not in one of the towns *on* the coast, it can be hard to find $1,000/mo - I'd suggest looking at Dover in that area. It's relatively inexpensive for the region, is a cool town in its own right, and is close to lots of other interesting areas. The lack of sales tax and state income tax in NH is definitely helpful. NH tends to have stiff real estate tax in its towns, but if you're renting, the landlord is paying that, so you only need to worry about the rent.
A town I'd suggest to check out near Portland would be Gorham. It's more affordable than Portland but would still allow you to commute there for work if desired. Relative to most of Maine, it has a lot of younger residents. You could also check out neighboring Westbrook. A little further up would be Topsham and Bath - both are reasonable cost of living (cheaper than the other towns named so far), and there is a fair amount of business activity in their areas, plus Portland would still be commutable from Topsham... Bath is getting a little far to commute to Portland.
Last edited by OutdoorLover; 09-13-2021 at 02:24 PM..
I have a friend, who used to post on this forum, she was a public school teacher in NJ. She got fed up with the teachers union antics, packed her bags, and moved to Maine. She had a custom-built cabin built in Garland and now she tutors children being homeschooled. She loves it here in Maine.
The seacoast NH area is great as well, but prices have really gone up there, and even if you're not in one of the towns *on* the coast, it can be hard to find $1,000/mo - I'd suggest looking at Dover in that area. It's relatively inexpensive for the region, is a cool town in its own right, and is close to lots of other interesting areas. The lack of sales tax and state income tax in NH is definitely helpful. NH tends to have stiff real estate tax in its towns, but if you're renting, the landlord is paying that, so you only need to worry about the rent.
A town I'd suggest to check out near Portland would be Gorham. It's more affordable than Portland but would still allow you to commute there for work if desired. Relative to most of Maine, it has a lot of younger residents. You could also check out neighboring Westbrook. A little further up would be Topsham and Bath - both are reasonable cost of living (cheaper than the other towns named so far), and there is a fair amount of business activity in their areas, plus Portland would still be commutable from Topsham... Bath is getting a little far to commute to Portland.
Thank you, I’m gonna focus more on NH but I feel Maine is cheaper but probably balances out all together. If I can get cheaper rent in NH I won’t pass that up, really not many areas in both states that I don’t like! Do like politics of NH much more though…
I have a friend, who used to post on this forum, she was a public school teacher in NJ. She got fed up with the teachers union antics, packed her bags, and moved to Maine. She had a custom-built cabin built in Garland and now she tutors children being homeschooled. She loves it here in Maine.
I was referring to state politics(red or blue NJ has pissed away money forever and we have always been high tax high everything state…..) but yes school politics are horrendous as well….
Anyway I do feel Maine is better for home ownership and would be my future if I do end of going to New England area and liking it but NH does suit me better. Although I would love to later on in life live in a cabin or some kind of different rural home and with some acres… there’s literally few feet or so of space between houses in my town here in north Jersey……
Only thing I think that will prevent me from going north is snowy winters, If I can tolerate that New England states are awesome!
... Only thing I think that will prevent me from going north is snowy winters, If I can tolerate that New England states are awesome!
I am from California. I have lived in Maine for 16 years. I love Maine.
In my observation, the 'Legend of Maine Winters' is far different from the reality of winter in Maine.
If you move North from NJ a little bit you will come into the 'snowbelt' region where snow storms are legendary. Single individual overnight snowstorms that dump 3 foot of snow and completely disable a city.
When I was serving in the US Navy, I was homeported inside the snowbelt for many years.
We experienced some terrible storms. I completely agree with your concern about moving to any place like that.
When I speak of the 'snowbelt' I am referring to the region that is basically "Grand Rapids-Detroit-Cleveland-Toronto-Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse-Ithaca-Scranton-Albany-NYC-New Haven-Hartford-Springfield-Worcester-Providence-Manchester-Boston".
Maine is well North of that nonsense.
Winter where I live [geographically in the Southern half of Maine, about 20 miles North of Bangor] in the winters we will typically see. A snow storm that gives us 4 to 6 inches of snow, which is all cleared off the roads by 9am the next morning. Then 5 to 6 days of clear sunny skies. Before the next weekly snow storm.
This pattern repeats week after week all winter long. Sometimes we get a mid-winter thaw [when it warms up to mid-50F temps and all the snow melts away, for two weeks], some years we dont.
If you can keep your car under a roof, you will not have any problems with your car. I do recommend studded snow tires from the end of October until mid-April.
I don't think Maine is cheaper than NH, or vise versa.
What you should really focus in on is what you'd like to be doing when you aren't working. Do you want to live somewhere with a night life? Do you want to be able to go hiking, biking, camping, etc? Do you want great restaurants?
There is more to life than work, and either state will be disappointing if you move to the wrong spot.
Thank you, I’m gonna focus more on NH but I feel Maine is cheaper but probably balances out all together. If I can get cheaper rent in NH I won’t pass that up, really not many areas in both states that I don’t like! Do like politics of NH much more though…
They are both beautiful states and lower density and more laid back than New Jersey. The exact dollar tradeoff will depend on what you rent and where, what your income and spending habits are, but yes, if you're making say, $50K/yr and living and working in NH, the lower taxes in the seacoast NH region can likely offset an extra $300/mo in rent or more there compared to living in Maine.
If you want to do a "back of the envelope" estimate, assume you'll make the same in the new place as you are making in NJ, and take your net taxable income from 2020, and apply the Maine state tax rate to that "The income tax rates are graduated, with rates ranging from 5.8% to 7.15%"... so maybe pick 6% or 6.5%: https://www.maine.gov/revenue/taxes/...ome-tax-1040me
...and that's an estimate of what you'd save on income tax by living in NH. Then just take a guess at what fraction of your net income (after state and federal taxes utilities and rent) that you spend on stuff that's subject to sales tax, including a car purchase amortized over say 5 years, and get a dollar figure for taxable spend, which is likely a moderate fraction of our gross income - I'd guess about 1/4 off the top of my head, and apply the Maine state sales tax of 5.5% to that to estimate what you'll save on sales tax.
Last edited by OutdoorLover; 09-16-2021 at 06:01 AM..
I am from California. I have lived in Maine for 16 years. I love Maine.
In my observation, the 'Legend of Maine Winters' is far different from the reality of winter in Maine.
If you move North from NJ a little bit you will come into the 'snowbelt' region where snow storms are legendary. Single individual overnight snowstorms that dump 3 foot of snow and completely disable a city.
When I was serving in the US Navy, I was homeported inside the snowbelt for many years.
We experienced some terrible storms. I completely agree with your concern about moving to any place like that.
When I speak of the 'snowbelt' I am referring to the region that is basically "Grand Rapids-Detroit-Cleveland-Toronto-Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse-Ithaca-Scranton-Albany-NYC-New Haven-Hartford-Springfield-Worcester-Providence-Manchester-Boston".
Maine is well North of that nonsense.
Winter where I live [geographically in the Southern half of Maine, about 20 miles North of Bangor] in the winters we will typically see. A snow storm that gives us 4 to 6 inches of snow, which is all cleared off the roads by 9am the next morning. Then 5 to 6 days of clear sunny skies. Before the next weekly snow storm.
This pattern repeats week after week all winter long. Sometimes we get a mid-winter thaw [when it warms up to mid-50F temps and all the snow melts away, for two weeks], some years we dont.
If you can keep your car under a roof, you will not have any problems with your car. I do recommend studded snow tires from the end of October until mid-April.
NJ will get a stretch like that to but it’s only January February some snow then it’s nice then more snow, but our winters and summers are always different, some winters we get barely any snow and others we get decent amount or generally it one or two big storms and few other 3-6 inches type. Summers seem to be getting hotter and more humid here but some years they can be more mild but I really want to get out of hot humid air I can’t function in hot summers here. I really don’t mind cold but it’s snow that bothers me from what I’ve looked up I might not like New England for longer winters. NJ gets it’s snow January February pretty much very rarely heavy snow earlier then that don’t think we’ve had white Christmas in my life or not since I was younger at least(I’m 28)
You mentioned another area I really like western Michigan in or near Grand Rapids but I won’t do the snowbelt nonsense. New York State is beautiful as well but I wouldn’t live in NY…. Can live in Pittsburgh and still travel to NY if I wanted NY that bad…. I don’t… really trying to avoid bigger cities if possible.
I will take a trip to Maine and NH and see if I like it enough but my heart is set on going west someday I might just have to grind it out here bit more and take my chances moving out there. Thought western states housing issues were bad but NH ain’t much better….. My favorite areas out of a lot of research I’ve done would be north Idaho, Washington state all together but I won’t move there same with Colorado, New Mexico I LOVE the high desert and climate there and northern NM is a hidden gem IMO, and Carson City NV. I’m really into Arizona and Las Vegas as well but not sure I want constant heat in those areas and Arizona is crowded and has crazy drivers no thanks…. LV infrastructure is much much better and more quiet communities further out from the strip I’ll at least give LV props but another hot spot with housing cost issues….
They are both beautiful states and lower density and more laid back than New Jersey. The exact dollar tradeoff will depend on what you rent and where, what your income and spending habits are, but yes, if you're making say, $50K/yr and living and working in NH, the lower taxes in the seacoast NH region can likely offset an extra $300/mo in rent or more there compared to living in Maine.
If you want to do a "back of the envelope" estimate, assume you'll make the same in the new place as you are making in NJ, and take your net taxable income from 2020, and apply the Maine state tax rate to that "The income tax rates are graduated, with rates ranging from 5.8% to 7.15%"... so maybe pick 6% or 6.5%: https://www.maine.gov/revenue/taxes/...ome-tax-1040me
...and that's an estimate of what you'd save on income tax by living in NH. Then just take a guess at what fraction of your net income (after state and federal taxes utilities and rent) that you spend on stuff that's subject to sales tax, including a car purchase amortized over say 5 years, and get a dollar figure for taxable spend, which is likely a moderate fraction of our gross income - I'd guess about 1/4 off the top of my head, and apply the Maine state sales tax of 5.5% to that to estimate what you'll save on sales tax.
Between 2 jobs I work now I’m around 55k before taxes but I also get health benefits from the full time job and am contributing to pension with both jobs actually, I’m pretty sure if I leave I get at least a decent % of what I put in back but this is NJ we are talking about…..
My biggest thing is finding cheaper rent seems like housing all over the damn country is nuts right now. Seems like NH really has a shortage think I saw more cheaper rent in Maine but with NH low or no taxes I think that offsets living in Maine by far, and I really prefer NH more anyway but I am not someone who spends a lot of money I really am trying to save as much as can in the times we are in there is never any feeling of security….
Thank you for helpful comment, and I have a site that will go over every states taxes so put in salary and will know what gets taken out exactly. Between income and sales tax difference in each state I think you were right probably 300-400$ extra a month to be in NH.
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