Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Maine
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 11-04-2016, 10:28 AM
 
18 posts, read 47,928 times
Reputation: 10

Advertisements

My family is looking to relocate to New England from Oklahoma and have narrowed it down to New Hampshire or Maine and although I have done tons of reading and comparing, sometimes you just have to ask for help.

A little on us, we both work retail/CS, I work in the parts department of a car dealer and she works in a call center for a phone company, doing something different is welcomed also though so we aren't having to look in a specialized field *such as in NH Sig Sauer seems to have lots of jobs open and we love firearms so that seems cool*

We do know the winter will be more brutal that we have experienced but to be honest Oklahoma heat and humidity is absolutely awful so bring on the cold! Just wanted to get that out of the way.

We visited Boston, NH (Portsmouth/Hampton Beach) and South Portland lighthouse in August and loved the area. We know we don't want to live in Mass. but Portsmouth seems really expensive (remember Oklahoma is super cheap housing) Portland seems like a cool coastal city but I know it's the most expensive in Maine to be. We would like to be close to the beach/water but be able to make a day of going to Boston without making it 3 hours away so any farther north into Maine doesn't seem appealing.

I know that NH has no sales tax or income tax but Maine has cheaper property tax and the car tag/registration seems about the same in both really but I was noticing a lack of apartments in Portland area to rent while we try to figure out housing, am I just looking in the wrong place? Also are there many jobs around Portland? I know NH has it's share of things but I keep reading Maine has a poor economy and jobs are lacking and I don't want to waste my time looking if there is nothing there.

I know have seen some people live in Southern Maine and work in NH, I assume with the no state tax that can be beneficial but I also don't want to put myself in a pickle during the winter.

I'm sure I'll think of more after I post this.....Thanks in advance!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 11-04-2016, 10:52 AM
 
23,560 posts, read 18,700,598 times
Reputation: 10824
It all depends on what vocation you are in. You shouldn't move anywhere without a job lined up first.

NH generally has access to more jobs. If you work in NH and live in ME I believe you still owe income tax to Maine.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-04-2016, 11:38 AM
 
18 posts, read 47,928 times
Reputation: 10
I'll for sure line up a job before we come up I just wasn't sure what area to be looking at, I have all the regular job apps downloaded (Monster, CareerBuilder, Indeed) I just need to narrow down the area because I don't want any long commutes during the winter
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-04-2016, 07:43 PM
 
Location: Maine
3,536 posts, read 2,858,353 times
Reputation: 6839
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewEnglanderAtHeart View Post
I'll for sure line up a job before we come up I just wasn't sure what area to be looking at, I have all the regular job apps downloaded (Monster, CareerBuilder, Indeed) I just need to narrow down the area because I don't want any long commutes during the winter
I would consider the Lewiston/Auburn area.

2 major hospitals, a dozen auto dealerships, several call centers including carbonite, great falls, LLbean,etc.

you'll fit right in.



bill
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-08-2016, 12:04 PM
 
18 posts, read 47,928 times
Reputation: 10
How are the taxes in Maine? I've heard they're high but are they really any higher than anywhere else?

also how much is it to register a car annually? I didn't exactly know how to read the explanation of it on Maine's website and it seems to be way different than what I'm used to. Same for Driver's license, are they expensive?

sorry for all the questions that seem like they should be easy to find
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-08-2016, 12:44 PM
 
23,560 posts, read 18,700,598 times
Reputation: 10824
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewEnglanderAtHeart View Post
How are the taxes in Maine? I've heard they're high but are they really any higher than anywhere else?

also how much is it to register a car annually? I didn't exactly know how to read the explanation of it on Maine's website and it seems to be way different than what I'm used to. Same for Driver's license, are they expensive?

sorry for all the questions that seem like they should be easy to find
Taxes are high, but some states are yet higher. Registering a car can be expensive, depending on the year and type of vehicle. I pay almost twice here what I did in MA. Fees for a DL seem similar to most other states.

It all boils down to how much you earn, which town you live in, and kind of lifestyle you live.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-08-2016, 10:24 PM
 
3,925 posts, read 4,129,715 times
Reputation: 4999
Canada is worth considering.....now.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-09-2016, 03:46 AM
 
1,453 posts, read 2,203,079 times
Reputation: 1740
No, Maine is clearly not as intellectually crippled as the rest of the Country. We just didn't have anyone to vote for. None of this bodes well for my grandchildren's future. The rich get richer, the EPA is disbanded, all for a reality show schill. Even "his party" didn't support him. At least I can now change my oil in my driveway and just let it run onto the ground and nobody will bother me. Let the xenophobic gloating begin!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-04-2016, 01:46 PM
 
1,884 posts, read 2,894,622 times
Reputation: 2082
I see some good advice has been posted; I don't include moving to Canada. It's all about finding jobs, how much you earn and if you can afford to live on it.

Some job opening examples: I realize these are not near NH. Hinckley Yachts in Trenton is hiring, King Electric in Trenton, Dunkin Donuts in Ellsworth but only $9.50/hr., Hannaford (grocery store) in Ellsworth, some post office locations, etc. I'm sure there are other job openings, but will the hourly wage or salary be enough for you to live on? If you continue in customer service jobs, can you live on $10-$12/hr.? If you get more than that in customer service, consider yourself fortunate. You can probably find a rental for $800 to $1200/month... may or may not be your preferred living experience; might include some or none with regard to utilities (including heat). Note: Some places lay people off after Christmas. Seasonal jobs are plentiful in the summer. I am guessing you are looking for a year-round job.

Maine.gov: Employment: Job Opportunities
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-04-2016, 02:10 PM
 
Location: Shapleigh, ME
428 posts, read 554,132 times
Reputation: 660
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maineac View Post
No, Maine is clearly not as intellectually crippled as the rest of the Country. We just didn't have anyone to vote for. None of this bodes well for my grandchildren's future. The rich get richer, the EPA is disbanded, all for a reality show schill. Even "his party" didn't support him. At least I can now change my oil in my driveway and just let it run onto the ground and nobody will bother me. Let the xenophobic gloating begin!
Why do you need someone else to bother you about letting your used motor oil run into the ground? Wouldn't it bother YOU?

To the OP: I have not found it difficult to find a job here. I was hired for the last two jobs I applied for. One was a full time job for a Manufacturing company in S Maine. The last was a post retirement part time job at Cabelas. Good luck!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Maine

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:06 PM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top