Data Confirms It: Maine Is One of the Most Rural States in America

Looking at a map of Maine always feels a bit surreal. It’s fascinating just how much of the state remains truly remote and untouched.

I’ve spent my whole life in the suburbs around Portland, watching the area steadily grow. It’s far from a major city, but it’s definitely not rural anymore. While you can still find pockets of farmland and open space, they’re increasingly surrounded by new development stretching in every direction. I'm pretty sure a new condo development will be built by the time you finish reading this article.

How Rural of a State is Maine?

Still, Greater Portland, Lewiston/Auburn, Bangor, and other populous areas make up just a small slice of Maine’s pie. The majority of the state is basically just pine trees and wildlife. I mean, we still have territories named T2R9, you’re not going to find that in every state.

Maine is still a very rural place. From acres of farmland to small communities where everyone knows your name, the state has managed to maintain its roots over the decades.

So, just how rural is Maine? According to the popular pop culture site Jagran Josh, it’s very rural. In fact, the site claims Maine is the second most rural state, only trailing Vermont. The site based its findings on metrics from the U.S. Census.

How is a Rural Region Determined?

According to Jagran Josh, the U.S. Census classifies any rural area as any region outside of an urban area. An urban area is defined as a region with 50,000 people or more, or what’s known as an urban cluster—an area with a population between 2,500 and 49,999.

Considering those definitions, it’s easy to see how Maine is certainly rural. You can't say there’s a whole heck of a lot of urban areas or clusters around here.

In fact, according to the data, Maine’s rural population makes up 61.5% of the total. That is an absolutely huge number.

What are Other Very Rural States?

Like I said earlier, Vermont leads the way in the report, with a rural population of a balmy 66.1%.

The rest of the top five isn’t surprising: West Virginia, Mississippi, and Montana are all states you’d expect to see on the list. Though personally, I would’ve expected Wyoming and the Dakotas to be strong contenders as well.

READ MORE: 35 Delicious Maine Restaurants That Are Worth the Drive

And the least rural state? That title goes to California. While the state does have vast remote areas, the majority of its population lives in and around major metropolitan regions.

You can read more about the methodology here and check out the rankings here.