7 Best Places to Live in Maine
Open to exploring your options? Discover other great cities in Maine with our detailed guide.
Located alongside the Stillwater and Penobscot Rivers just north of Bangor, Orono is a small town brimming with historic charm and New England flair. Orono is home to the largest university in the state, the University of Maine, and offers a college-town vibe with numerous cafes, breweries, bookstores, and apartments available for rent.
The University of Maine contributes an array of cultural amenities to the community, including the Collins Center for the Arts, Hudson Museum, Alfond Arena, and much more. The Fay Hyland Botanical Garden is also located on campus, providing plenty of lush natural beauty along the Stillwater River.
Orono offers endless opportunities for outdoor recreation, from strolling the Orono Bog Boardwalk to fishing in Pushaw Lake and everything in between. The close-knit community in Orono comes together for a wide variety of events as well, including seasonal concert series, local club meetings, festivals, and farmers markets. Quick access to I-95, U.S. 2, and Bangor International Airport makes getting around from Orono simple.
As of January 2026, the average apartment rent in Orono, ME is $1,380 for one bedroom, $1,602 for two bedrooms, and $2,204 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Orono has increased by 4.0% in the past year.
Open to exploring your options? Discover other great cities in Maine with our detailed guide.
Car-Dependent
out of 100 WalkScore® Rating
This area is considered a car-dependent area and most errands will require a car.
Somewhat Bikeable
out of 100 BikeScore® Rating
You might be able to find places to ride your bike in this area, but you’ll most likely want your car for most errands.
Public
Grades K-5
Public
Grades 6-8
Public
Grades 9-12
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Data provided by
GreatSchools.org
© 2026. All rights reserved.
† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.
Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.
Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in November 2025.