Maine’s Safest Cities of 2024

Alina Bradford
Mar 18, 2024
bullet3 min read

Here are the 10 Safest Cities in Maine for 2024

See crime rates for the safest cities.

Maine has some of the lowest per capita crime rates in the nation—coming in second-lowest for violent crime and fourth-lowest for property crime. So it's no surprise that Maine residents remain less concerned about crime and safety in general, compared to the rest of the country, but high concern about specific crimes increased year over year. 

In this report

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NOTE: If your city is missing from our full report, it means that it was below the population threshold or didn’t submit a complete crime report to the FBI in 2022.

2024 Maine crime rates

Image: SafeWise

Maine’s violent crime rate is the second lowest in the nation, with 1.1 incidents per 1,000 people (US 4.0). The state’s property crime rate is 12.4, much lower than the national rate of 20.7—giving Maine the fourth lowest per capita property crime rate in the US.

Property crime in Maine: Fear vs. reality

Property crime in Maine rose for the second consecutive year, increasing from 11.7 property crimes per 1,000 people to 12.4. It seems that Maine residents are in tune with this change, as State of Safety Survey respondents in Maine expressed 13% higher levels of concern about property crime than in last year's report.

  • Maine has the fourth lowest property crime rate in the US.
  • Package theft specifically and property crime, in general, are the top concerns in Maine.
  • Experiences with property crime increased year over year, with 28% of Maine respondents reporting a run-in during the 12 months prior to the survey (US 27%)
  • 31% told us they experienced a package theft in the 12 months prior to the survey—four points lower than the national average. 
  • 34% of Maine respondents told us they increased their security measures in the 12 months prior to the survey, and 7 in 10 said they feel safe in the state.
  • Security cameras have overcome firearms as most popular form of property protection, used by 41% and 29% of those we surveyed, respectively. 

What security measures are used most in Maine?

Security measures used most in Maine: security cameras, firearms, guard dogs.

Image: SafeWise


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What crimes are Maine residents concerned about most?

Image: SafeWise

Violent crime in Maine: Fear vs. reality

Maine has the second-lowest violent crime rate in the US—1.1 incidents per 1,000 people. Overall, per capita violent crime has stayed the same for the third consecutive year, with violent crime making up only 8% of all crime in the state, half of the prevalence nationwide.

  • Respondents' level of concern over violent crime rose 24% year over year, with 36% saying they're highly concerned on a daily basis.
  • Reported experience with violent crime rose from 9% in last year's report to 12%.
  • Only 59% of Mainers think crime is on the rise overall—the second lowest in the nation.
  • The number of Mainers surveyed who reported using some form of personal protection was 33% (down from 37% the year before), with the US average coming to 36%.
  • Pepper spray is the most-used type of personal protection (58%) followed by pocket knives (52%).

Attitudes about gun violence in Maine

Overall, most Mainers surveyed aren't highly concerned about gun violence (39% versus 51% nationwide). That said, both concern and reported experience with gun violence rose year over year.

  • Mainers surveyed reported the lowest personal experience (5%) with gun violence in the country. Nationwide, 12% of people surveyed had a gun violence experience in the 12 months prior to the survey.
  • There were 2 mass shooting incidents in Maine in 2023—the state saw zero in 2022 and 2021.
  • Nearly 3 in 10 (29%) Maine respondents use a firearm to help protect their home (US 28%).
  • 33% of Mainers who use any kind of personal protection, said they carry a firearm for self-protection. (US 41%)

Image: SafeWise

A closer look at the safest cities in Maine

For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

  • Cumberland climbed its way from fifth place to first place this year.
  • Cape Elizabeth held on to second place, reporting a total of 28 crimes.
  • Gorham jumped 8 spots to round out the top 10 safest cities in Maine.
  • No murders were reported in Maine's safest cities.
  • Maine’s safest cities collectively reported 27 total violent crimes in the most recent FBI report. 19 of those (70%) were aggravated assault.
  • Cumberland is the only to city to report zero burglaries and zero car thefts.
  • Eliot, Belfast, Orono, and Bar Harbor each reported only 2 burglaries.
  • Every safest city reported fewer than 100 property crimes, and 8 reported fewer than 50. 

The 10 safest cities in Maine

Image: SafeWise

#1
Cumberland
(
+4
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    8,616
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.0, 0.4, 0.4
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    2.1, 3.0, 2.5
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Cape Elizabeth, Maine
#2
Cape Elizabeth
(
-0-
)
  • bullet
    Population
    9,535
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.1, 0.4, 0.3
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    2.8, 0.6, 3.2
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Eliot, Maine
#3
Eliot
(
-2
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    7,162
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.1, 0.1, 0.3
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    2.5, 3.1, 3.7
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#4
Hampden
(
-0-
)
  • bullet
    Population
    7,864
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.1, 0.0, 0.0
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.1, 6.4, 6.1
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Belfast, Maine
#5
Belfast
(
+2
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    7,037
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.1, 0.0, 0.0
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    6.1, 7.0, 7.9
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#6
Orono
(
+3
)
  • bullet
    Population
    11,651
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.4, 0.3, 0.3
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    3.7, 6.2, 8.0
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Kennebunk
#7
Kennebunk
(
+4
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    11,804
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.3, 0.5, 0.0
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.7, 4.5, 4.5
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
South Berwick, Maine
#8
South Berwick
(
+5
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    7,653
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.5, 0.7, 0.5
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    3.3, 4.6, 5.7
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Bar Harbor, Maine
#9
Bar Harbor
(
+8
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    7,478
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.4, 1.0, 0.6
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.1, 3.7, 5.2
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#10
Gorham
(
-4
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    18,482
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.4, 0.3, 0.3
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    4.9, 3.9, 4.5
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime

How we determined the safest cities

Learn how we identified the safest cities on our methodology page.

How to make a safe home anywhere

Over 6 in 10 Americans surveyed don't have a home security system, despite over 50% of all burglaries being residential. Unfortunately, a majority of people who have a security system added it after they had a break-in. One of the best ways to stop a burglary before it happens—and get immediate help if a break-in is detected—is to add a monitored home security system.

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Find the safest cities in each state

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Endnotes and sources

Find all endnotes and sources in our full methodology.

FBI Crime Data Explorer, "Documents & Downloads." Accessed March 18, 2024.

  • 2022 and 2021 Crime in the United States Annual Reports
    • Offenses Known to Law Enforcement
  • 2022 NIBRS Estimation Tables

Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)." Accessed March 18, 2024.

Gun Violence Archive, "Mass Shootings." Accessed March 18, 2023.

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Alina Bradford
Written by
Alina Bradford
Alina is a safety and security expert that has contributed her insights to CNET, CBS, Digital Trends, MTV, Top Ten Reviews, and many others. Her goal is to make safety and security gadgets less mystifying one article at a time. In the early 2000s, Alina worked as a volunteer firefighter, earning her first responder certification and paving the way to her current career. Her activities aren’t nearly as dangerous today. Her hobbies include fixing up her 100-year-old house, doing artsy stuff, and going to the lake with her family.

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