The Safest and Most Dangerous Cities in Maine
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November 9, 2026
Maine had the lowest violent crime rate of any state in 2025, the latest reporting year for FBI crime data. Even in cities like Biddeford, Portland, and Lewiston, which have the highest crime rates in this comparison, they still fall below the national violent crime benchmark. Property crime is a different matter in Bangor, Augusta, and Waterville, where rates exceed the national figure.
Maine has a violent crime rate of 93.2 offenses per 100,000 residents, 72% below the national rate. Its property crime rate of 939.1 is 39% below the national benchmark. Maine had the lowest violent crime rate and the fourth-lowest property crime rate among all states in 2025.
Crime is moving in a positive direction in the Pine Tree State: between 2022 and 2025, violent crimes fell 8%, while property crimes fell 21%.
Maine Cities With the Highest and Lowest Crime Rates
The following tables compare places with populations of at least 10,000. All rates represent reported offenses per 100,000 residents in 2025.
Cities with the highest property crime rates
| City or town | Property crime rate |
|---|---|
| Bangor | 3,803.0 |
| Augusta | 3,473.9 |
| Waterville | 2,571.0 |
Cities with the highest violent crime rates
| City or town | Violent crime rate |
|---|---|
| Biddeford | 259.8 |
| Portland | 243.4 |
| Lewiston | 242.3 |
Cities with the lowest property crime rates
| City or town | Property crime rate |
|---|---|
| Orono | 80.2 |
| Gorham | 225.9 |
| Falmouth | 391.3 |
Cities with the lowest violent crime rates
| City or town | Violent crime rate |
|---|---|
| Orono | 16.0 |
| Gorham | 16.1 |
| Kittery | 26.5 |
Source: 2025 FBI Crime in the United States, Table 8. Rankings include places with at least 10,000 residents.
Orono, home to the University of Maine, has the lowest violent crime rate among the 21 communities included in our analysis. Orono’s violent crime rate was 16.0 offenses per 100,000 residents in 2025. Gorham follows closely at 16.1, and Kittery ranks third at 26.5.
Orono also has the lowest property crime rate at 80.2, followed by Gorham at 225.9 and Falmouth at 391.3. As a result, Orono and Gorham hold the top two spots across both low-crime categories.
Biddeford, a coastal city 90 minutes north of Boston, has the highest violent crime rate among qualifying communities at 259.8, followed by Portland at 243.4 and Lewiston at 242.3. All three are below the national violent crime rate of 327.6, despite their positions at the top of Maine’s list.
Property crime rates tell a different story. Bangor has the highest rate at 3,803.0, followed by the capital, Augusta, at 3,473.9 and Waterville at 2,571.0. All three exceed the national property crime benchmark of 1,534.8.
How Does Crime in Maine Compare to Other States?
Maine has the fourth-lowest property crime rate among the 50 states, 39% below the national benchmark. Motor vehicle theft is 70% lower, burglary 59% lower, and larceny-theft 30% lower than the national rate.
Property crime rates
Offenses per 100,000 residents, 2025
| Crime type | Maine | National |
|---|---|---|
| Property crime overall | 939.1 | 1,534.8 |
| Burglary | 78.6 | 193.6 |
| Larceny-theft | 801.2 | 1,144.1 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 59.3 | 197.0 |
In addition to its low property crime rates, Maine’s violent crime rate of 93.2 per 100,000 residents is 72% below the national rate. Aggravated assault and robbery are each 78% lower, murder and nonnegligent manslaughter 66% lower, and rape 24% lower. These comparisons support the state’s lowest-rate ranking while showing differences across offenses.
Domestic violence remains a serious concern despite being the state with the nation’s lowest violent crime rate. Maine State Police classified 12 of the 21 homicides on their 2025 list as domestic. That separate police tally highlights a danger that a town’s low overall rate may not reveal: violence within a household or relationship.
Violent crime rates
Offenses per 100,000 residents, 2025
| Crime type | Maine | National |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime overall | 93.2 | 327.6 |
| Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter | 1.4 | 4.1 |
| Aggravated assault | 53.2 | 238.0 |
| Robbery | 11.0 | 49.4 |
| Rape | 27.6 | 36.1 |
The number of violent crimes in Maine decreased 8% between 2022 and 2025.
Is Maine a Safe Place to Live?
Maine’s lowest-in-the-nation violent crime rate is a meaningful advantage. In particular, Orono and Gorham had the lowest rates for both property and violent crime. However, the larger cities of Bangor, Augusta, and Portland have higher property crime rates.
Where Our Crime Data Comes From
Where Our Crime Data Comes From
Unless specified otherwise, the information in this article is based on the FBI’s Crime in the United States tables. Statewide offense counts and published crime rates come from Table 5, national benchmarks come from Table 1, and city-level figures come from Table 8.
The state and national rate comparisons use 2025 data. Changes in Maine’s violent and property crime counts compare 2022 with 2025. The trend percentages reflect changes in offense counts, rather than population-adjusted rates.
For the local rankings, we calculated violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents using the 2025 dataset's populations and offense counts. We included only places with at least 10,000 residents. We included zero reported rates and all places tied at the cutoff for the three lowest-rate selections. Missing values were not treated as zero. State rankings compare the 50 states and exclude the District of Columbia.
Percentages are rounded to whole numbers, and crime rates are rounded to one decimal place. Calculations and rankings use unrounded values. Rankings describe the jurisdictions included in the dataset rather than every community in the state.
Important note: Crime statistics offer valuable insights, but they aren’t the only way to evaluate a community’s safety. Local context, law enforcement participation, reporting practices, population estimates, and geographic boundaries can influence the figures. A zero reported rate does not guarantee that no crime occurred. These comparisons do not establish why crime is higher or lower in a particular place.