Moving to Maine Next Spring (Portland, Bangor: crime rate, layoffs, university)

[JSergeant81]

Good evening all,

My wife and I had discussed like everyone else to ditch this town and start over elsewhere. After a lot of digging we decided Maine would be a nice change from the small farm town in Illinois(population 900) that she and I grew up in. So next spring my contract will be up at work, we sold out house, paid off our debt and have been saving and selling most of our things to be able to pick up and go when the contract ends.

So, i have read many good things but what are some of the bad things (without trolling).
I know the weather can get cold and snowy and we are actually ok with cold but what else should we think about/prepare for?

I am a Manufacturing Engineer for Deere and have been in metal working for about 14 years. We were looking in the Portland area but will I be able to find anything along the manufacturing line in that area? I am also a Machinist by trade so I can run a machine if I cannot find an engineering gig right away.

What other areas would you suggest other than Portland?

Thanks guys!
James

[dubthang]

I'd find the job first, and then go where the job is. Portland is nice, but it is not always easy to get work here.

[Mark S.]

Portland is a small city, but still a city. If you're wanting to keep a rural or semi-rural lifestyle, I'd look farther north.

A lot of Maine employers advertise on JobsinME.com. Indeed.com can also be helpful, since they tend to gather announcements from lots of different sites. Considering your background, you might try Bath Iron Works, though it can be a bit of a feast / famine lifestyle. When they're working, the BIW employees make good money. But BIW also tends to have annual layoffs.

[JSergeant81]

Thank you both for the pointers! I will definitely look into jabsinme.com! I have been looking on monster but forgot about indeed! I thought I had read that there is a bit of mining & forestry types of manufacturing jobs out that way?

Also, I read that you guys got some snow over the last few days. Is it as bad as the news is making it sound or is it typical news drama?

With that in mind, what month would be ideal to move to Maine?

Take care!
James

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by JSergeant81

Thank you both for the pointers! I will definitely look into jabsinme.com! I have been looking on monster but forgot about indeed! I thought I had read that there is a bit of mining & forestry types of manufacturing jobs out that way?

In my experience, Monster is mostly big companies, and there are lots of small companies in Maine that probably can't afford to advertise on Monster. I'm not sure about mining and forestry jobs. They're definitely not the backbone of the economy in Maine like they used to be.

Originally Posted by JSergeant81

Also, I read that you guys got some snow over the last few days. Is it as bad as the news is making it sound or is it typical news drama?

It varied, depending on where you were in the state. Where we're at, it wasn't bad at all, and most of the snow is already melted. An early snowstorm like that certainly isn't typical, but neither is it unheard of.

Originally Posted by JSergeant81

With that in mind, what month would be ideal to move to Maine?

Unless you like moving in the snow, I'd rule out November through March. Sometimes it doesn't start snowing steadily till late December, but usually by Thanksgiving we can count on snow cover. And most years most of the snow is gone by mid-March, but some years it's still around till late April.

[JoulesMSU]

So, i have read many good things but what are some of the bad things (without trolling).
I know the weather can get cold and snowy and we are actually ok with cold but what else should we think about/prepare for?

I'm from Michigan, and I'd have to say the biggest difference is that Maine is significantly more expensive than the Midwest. I would guess that unless you live in Chicago, you'll find that to be the case as well.

Groceries are more expensive.
Gas is more expensive.
Housing is more expensive.
Taxes are more expensive (Maine has one of the highest income taxes in the country, nearly twice as high as Michigan's)

The only thing that is cheaper is seafood.


IMO the weather is no different. I would actually say Portland is warmer than Michigan was, because of the ocean. My family members in southern Michigan got more snow last year than we did here in Portland. And last week, while it snowed several inches in the rest of the state, Portland hardly got anything - it barely even accumulated and then melted within a few hours.

What other areas would you suggest other than Portland?

In my opinion, I wouldn't suggest anywhere else. Bangor is the only comparable city to Portland, but unlike Portland, which is a a much bigger city and is also closer to other bigger cities like Portsmouth, Augusta, and even Boston isn't too far away, Bangor is not close to anything. So while there are some things to do in the town (and the University is next door), there is basically nothing else anywhere nearby. The rest of the state is basically what you would find in rural Illinois - tiny towns with small populations, although probably better views (more forests, less farmland).

I guess Biddeford is cheaper than the Portland area, and is only about 20-25 minutes away from Portland, if housing costs are a big concern. Some people claim Biddeford is one of the "scary/dangerous" places in Maine, as if such a place exists in Maine. But if you compared it to Cairo, IL, Gary, IN, or Flint, MI - well, you can't even compare it to those kind of places because it's nothing like that. Biddeford actually has a lower crime rate than places like Peoria, Springfield, and Champaign... that's how safe Maine is. The most "dangerous" place here would be one of the safest in most other states. lol

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by JoulesMSU

IMO the weather is no different. I would actually say Portland is warmer than Michigan was, because of the ocean.

The upper Midwest is actually MUCH colder than New England. But New England tends to be wetter.

[JSergeant81]

Thank you all very much for your info. You all rock!

[TommyDuke]

JoulesMSU, How does the Biddeford area compare with property costs in Aroostook cty, say the 20 mile area around Houlton?

[chet the jet]

my friends moved here from there 15 years ago and found out it was a big mistake! they now have a place in North Carolina. they said NC is really booming now.