Moving to Kentucky from Maine

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Maine to Kentucky — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Maine to Kentucky, you would find that Kentucky is 16.1% cheaper than Maine. A $75,000 salary in Maine would need to be roughly $65,039 in Kentucky to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Maine to Kentucky.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $65,039

To maintain the same standard of living in Kentucky

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 18.9% less

Groceries

pay 11.8% less

Transportation

pay 5.2% less

Housing

pay 16.5% less

Childcare

pay 30.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 17.0% less

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

How Maine and Kentucky stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

ME
101
KY
220
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

ME
1105
KY
1525

Maine performs better than Kentucky across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

ME
6.4%
KY
5.7%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

ME
33.2%
KY
38.2%

Maine generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kentucky leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

ME
$266,400
KY
$192,300
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

ME
$1,084
KY
$933

Kentucky generally does better on what about housing?, though Maine leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

ME
89.2%
KY
87.4%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

ME
24 min
KY
24 min

Maine generally does better on infrastructure, though Kentucky leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

ME
3.2%
KY
3.5%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

ME
$54,958
KY
$50,135

Maine performs better than Kentucky across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

ME
77.8 yrs
KY
73.5 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

ME
25%
KY
18%

Maine performs better than Kentucky across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Augusta Rain: 43.6 in/yr (1107 mm)
77° / 51°F

Avg. annual high / low

Bowling Green Rain: 49.9 in/yr (1267 mm)
69° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Augusta Bowling Green
Jan–Mar 63°/37°F (17°/3°C) 52°/31°F (11°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 84°/57°F (29°/14°C) 78°/55°F (25°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 91°/67°F (33°/20°C) 87°/64°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 69°/42°F (21°/6°C) 59°/38°F (15°/3°C)
View all months
Month Augusta Bowling Green
Jan 58°/33°F (14.4°/0.4°C) 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.1°C)
Feb 62°/36°F (16.8°/2.2°C) 50°/30°F (10.0°/-1.3°C)
Mar 70°/42°F (21.1°/5.6°C) 60°/37°F (15.4°/2.8°C)
Apr 77°/48°F (25.2°/8.9°C) 70°/46°F (20.9°/7.6°C)
May 85°/57°F (29.4°/14.1°C) 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.8°C)
Jun 91°/66°F (32.8°/19.0°C) 86°/64°F (30.1°/17.7°C)
Jul 93°/70°F (34.1°/21.0°C) 89°/68°F (31.9°/19.9°C)
Aug 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) 89°/66°F (31.6°/18.9°C)
Sep 87°/63°F (30.4°/17.0°C) 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.4°C)
Oct 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.6°C) 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C)
Nov 69°/41°F (20.6°/5.2°C) 59°/38°F (15.2°/3.1°C)
Dec 60°/35°F (15.6°/1.4°C) 48°/29°F (8.8°/-1.6°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Kentucky than Maine?

Generally yes: Kentucky runs about 13% cheaper than Maine on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Kentucky?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $16,260 in Kentucky for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Kentucky safe?

Maine performs better than Kentucky across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Kentucky compared to Maine?

Maine generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kentucky leads in uninsured rate.

What's the weather like in Kentucky compared to Maine?

The average high temperature in Bowling Green is 69°F, compared to 77°F in Augusta. Bowling Green receives around 49.9 in of rainfall per year, while Augusta gets 43.6 in.

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