7 Best Places to Live in Maine
Open to exploring your options? Discover other great cities in Maine with our detailed guide.
Avg Rent
$2,148
Population
6,190
Renter Mix
33% Rent
Perched on Maine’s beautiful coastline, Scarborough is a small city just south of Portland. The ocean, hills, and forests of the region provide endless opportunities for outdoor recreation: fishing, hiking, and skiing are popular here, and there’s even a surf shop in town. Functioning as a mostly residential suburb of the neighboring city, Scarborough’s landscape is defined by tranquil neighborhoods spread amongst the lush forests.
Rental options come in a broad variety of options, with numerous upscale houses and condos available from the center of town out into the surrounding countryside. In addition to the close proximity to Portland, living in Scarborough provides easy access to Interstate 95 and Portland International Jetport, making it a perfect spot for frequent travelers.
New apartment buildings are starting to pop up in the Scarborough neighborhood.
Ferry Beach in Prouts Neck is a great place for swimming, sunbathing, fishing, and paddling.
Pleasant Hill provides hiking opportunities.
A row of oceanfront homes along Pine Point Beach.
Locals take an early Spring stroll on Pine Point Beach.
Pleasant Hill is known for its peaceful and family-friendly environment.
Median Household Income
$82,885
Average: $102,628
Education
2,341
Residents Have a Degree
Job Market
3,572
Workers Employed
Median Age
49 Years
Largest Age Group
60-69 Years
Approximately 13% of Residents
Under 20
18%
Over 65
31%
Housing Distribution
Scarborough has more homeowners than renters.
Education Distribution
Review this city's overall education levels.
As of September 2026, the average apartment rent in Scarborough, ME is $1,770 for a studio, $2,152 for one bedroom, $2,550 for two bedrooms, and $2,812 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Scarborough has increased by 3.2% in the past year.
7 Best Places to Live in Maine
Open to exploring your options? Discover other great cities in Maine with our detailed guide.
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Explore how walkable, bikeable, drivable, and transit-friendly Scarborough, ME is for everyday living.
Somewhat Walkable
Walkability
Exceptionally Drivable
Drivability
Somewhat Bikeable
Bikeability
Public
Grades K-5
664 Students
Eight Corners Elementary School
Public
Grades K-5
241 Students
Public
Grades PK-5
214 Students
Public
Grades K-5
180 Students
Public
Grades 6-8
663 Students
Public
Grades 9-12
903 Students
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 September 2026.
Demographic information comes from Neustar and combines detailed address data with U.S. Census and American Community Survey statistics to produce reliable local estimates.