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I currently live in Oregon, but have always felt I belong on the east coast, Maine or Massachusetts in particular. I've been reading a lot about both states and want to visit, then hopefully eventually move there. The problem is, my husband is a welder/fabricator and the jobs in that field in maine seem to make significantly less than he does here. I'm sure the cost of living is lower in Maine though, so it balances out. How are taxes? (Income, sales, etc). Cost of groceries and other necessities? I'd really love to hear some input.
It's not the taxes or the cost of things, it's that what you will make here is less than in other areas, that will make things seem expensive. It may all come as a wash when all is compared.
I actually was just reading that after I posted. It seems that the taxes aren't really as bad as everyone thinks, just that the pay isn't great. We would probably only consider the move after the husband joins the union here so he can eventually just transfer elsewhere.
Tax's are high in Maine. Our governor is trying to bring them down but with 30 years of dem control its a hard job. This is what I pay with two incomes. Income tax is 8%. Real estate tax on a 180K house 2800.00 a year in a small town. Big city is more. excise tax on two 5 year old cars 675.00 a year. gas tax is .48 a gal. Sales tax is 5.5% 7% for eat out food. Your retirement is taxed at the time is taken out of your check. Elct. is .14 a kilo wt. Another big cost is heating 2000 sgft newer house will run 2 to 4 k a year depending on oil prices. I know welders at BIW and other boat shops will start at 18 and top out at 25 an hour. Maine has a lot of good thing going for it now. The governor would like to eliminate income tax and that should bring us in a little better with the rest of New England. Don't over look New Hampshire no sales or income.
Thank you. That was exactly the kind of response I was looking for. So this excise tax is simply for owning a car? Even if you don't have a car payment? I've looked into NH a little bit too. $18-$25 is what my husband makes here, so that's pretty decent. Oregon is beautiful, but this is our first year here, and I am quite disappointed with the mild winter. I want snow! I've also always thought New England history was most interesting too.
The governor would like to eliminate income tax and that should bring us in a little better with the rest of New England. Don't over look New Hampshire no sales or income.
I hate TO BREak it to you, but LePage is not interested in eliminating the income tax. He only put that into his inauguration speech because discussion about further tax reform is stalled, and he knew that bringing out a subject like this would galvanize it. Going to a high sales tax would only put the onus on the people who can least avoid it.
In Maine there is a big difference between urban COL/taxes and rural COL/taxes. There are many different regions in Maine, few pictures describe all of Maine.
Thank you. That was exactly the kind of response I was looking for. So this excise tax is simply for owning a car? Even if you don't have a car payment? I've looked into NH a little bit too. $18-$25 is what my husband makes here, so that's pretty decent. Oregon is beautiful, but this is our first year here, and I am quite disappointed with the mild winter. I want snow! I've also always thought New England history was most interesting too.
On the coast we've yet to have a snow bigger than 5 inches. But we have about 7 on the ground now. Up here anything smaller than about 8 is really just a nuance. I snow blow the drive way in about 15 minutes, and out we go. Of course we have an AWD Subaru, with anti-lock and traction control with super General Winter tires. I love pulling out through the 7 inches of snow like nothing is there. That combination I've yet to find a condition that I've had any trouble at all with. Of course the night before last it was -12 F at my house.
Maine has over 3,000 miles of coastline, plus many rivers, lakes and ponds.
I think of it as an ideal place for year-round outdoor activities.
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