What it's like to live in Lewiston
Lewiston is a small city in Maine with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lewiston deals with household incomes below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, cold, harsh winters, and heavy snowfall.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Clean air
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High poverty rate
- Cold, harsh winters
- Heavy snowfall — 65" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Lewiston compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lewiston
Based on Lewiston's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,972
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $39,440 a year
- 49% of Lewiston renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$47,020
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,510
- Homes cost 4.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 30% below US
$986/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $986 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $235,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $235,100 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
3.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 27% below US
240 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1704/100k · Lewiston Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 19% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 78°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 15°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 37% below US
23% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 23%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Frances Perkins National Monument (31 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lewiston's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a poverty rate above the national average. A year of median rent ($986/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Lewiston
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