History geeks will tell you that the country's population is always shifting.  People are always looking for the best deal.  They want a place where the pay is high, but the cost of living is low.  Or, they are looking for a place that has a great quality of life.

During 2020 and 2021, we saw this play out over and over.  People who had been paying lots of money to live in cities (which were largely shut down), realized there was no point in paying so much money to live in a place where nothing was open.  As a result, tens of thousands moved to more rural (but open) places like Maine.

In Maine's history, population change often has to do with changes in industry.  Many Maine towns and cities have seen a slow decrease in population over the last few decades.  As the mills started to close in the 1960s, people began to relocate.  This was true for Lewiston, Augusta, Houlton, and many other towns.

 

 

What Is The Largest City In Maine In 2023?

Of course, when we say largest, we mean the city with the biggest population.  We are pretty sure everyone knows that, currently, the largest city in the state is Portland.  According to World Population Review, the 2023 population of Portland is 68,085.  This is down slightly from the recent peak of 68,400 in 2020.  The city's peak population was just under 78,000 back in 1950.

Portland, Maine, USA coastal townscape.
Sean Pavone
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What Will The Largest City In Maine Be In 2050?

It is kind of hard to believe that 2050 is only a couple of decades away.  When we were kids, didn't 2050 seem like the far future?

So, what will the largest city in Maine be in 2050?    Are we going to see a massive shift in the state's population or will the largest city in the state still be somewhere in the southern part of the state?

According to A-Z Animals, the largest city in Maine in 2050 is likely to still be Portland.  Even though Portland has steadily lost population since reaching that peak in 2020, people are only leaving at a trickle.  Well, more accurately, only a few dozen fewer people move to the city each year than leave the city each year.

Some of Maine's other large cities, like Lewiston, which would be contenders for the status of "largest city", are seeing people leave at a faster rate.

Of course, this is just speculation.  There is a chance that something major could cause a big population shift in the next few years.

The old Loring AFB becoming a major spaceport or a motherload of diamonds being discovered in Eustis, for example.  Hey, anything could happen, right?

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