2021 Best Places to Live in Penobscot County

Orono

Current Resident: I grew up in Orono so this is a little biased, but it's quiet and full of walking trails so people can get outside and enjoy nature. The biking situation is a little unfortunate, since it's a simple town in Maine we generally only have the basic two lane roads with minimal room to bike on, but I believe that's getting better. It's close to Bangor which is a big enough city for your basic needs, though nothing extremely exciting happens. The schools are great, safety is great, prices are a little elevated because it's a college town, but overall it's a 4/5 if you're into the small town setting...Read 56 Reviews

• grade A

• grade A

• 10,776 Population

Hampden

Current Resident: I love that Hampden has a small-town feel, but with plenty of local options for dining and activities. The proximity to Bangor and the University of Maine means there are always events nearby. My neighborhood feels safe and friendly!...Read 15 Reviews

• grade A

• grade A minus

• 7,352 Population

Veazie

Current Resident: I love Veazie and the sense of community it has. The school has very good programs including one about forensics which is very unique. The town is very beautiful and has easy access to the outdoors with multiple trails and easy access to the river. The only issues are with the roads as in a couple of spots the roads don't have sidewalks which could be dangerous and the main intersections crosswalk lights are sometimes broken. Other than that, a great town to live in...Read 3 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A

• 1,999 Population

Bangor

• Town in Maine
• Rating 3.8 out of 5  188 reviews

Current Resident: Bangor is a small place. Because of this, it has its downside just as any where does. However, with the small population there is a sense of community that you don’t get in large cities. There are local traditions and celebrations that make everyone feel welcome. For example, every New Year’s Eve in downtown Bangor, Paddy Murphy’s (the local pub) throws a lit up beach ball off of their roof at midnight! It may seem silly, but about half of Bangor comes just to see it...Bangor is big enough to meet new people and small enough to run into someone you know.Read 188 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A minus

• 32,095 Population

Hermon

Current Resident: Quiet. Friendly neighbors. Local amenities - Dunkin’ Donuts, Grocery store, hardware store, small locally owned restaurants, dentist, eye doctor, chiropractor. Growing as a town. Great place to live.Read 12 Reviews

• grade B+

• grade B

• 5,896 Population

Orrington

Current Resident: Orrington is a quiet, small town nestled between Brewer and Bucksport Maine. It is a nice place to live if you want to be in a more rural location away from the hustle and bustle of Bangor. It is not too far away from schools and shopping in Brewer and/or Bangor. The town's road upkeep is far superior to the surrounding towns of Bangor and Brewer. Orrington is overall a great location to live if you want just a little more peace and quiet and do not mind commutes...Read 25 Reviews

• grade B+

• grade B+

• 3,671 Population

Old Town

Current Resident: I love Old Town. We have a small population of around 7,400. Living in Old Town has a small suburban feel and is almost like a big family. Everyone knows each other, and it has a welcoming community. I feel safe and secure here. There is lots of access to wildlife and it's so beautiful. We have many small restaurants and there is always something fun going on. It's quiet and calming and yet close to everything...Read 29 Reviews

• grade B

• grade C+

• 7,474 Population

Brewer

Current Resident: Brewer is a town of about 10,000 people, but it's basically a suburb of Bangor, which puts it in a metro area of about 40,000. You have everything you need as far as stores, and there are a few good restaurants in Brewer proper. It's a typical Maine small town -- not the most interesting, but very safe...Read 33 Reviews

• grade B

• grade C+

• 9,090 Population

Eddington

Current Resident: I love my community. The local church is wonderful and the local people are polite and friendly. The fire department and police are also very helpful and prompt, and are involved in the community and with certain holidays and activities. The trash pick up is terrific and with no extra charge. There is also a very lovely little park behind the fire department that my child likes to frequent. The town is also clean and quite for the most part, with exception for the main high way, route 9...I would change the schooling hours / days, because I would like to see my child go to school at least 4 - 5 days out of the week. Especially when our taxes are paying for the school. Currently most children are only going 1 - 3, at most, and the parents / tax payers were never consulted on this decision. Also, the property taxes are pretty high for the town...Read 4 Reviews

• grade B minus

• grade B+

• 2,306 Population

Bradley

Current Resident: I've Lived in Bradley my whole life! It is a great little Town where all the kids know each other and know the whole town. Bradley is best known for Spencer's Ice cream which is the best homemade ice cream any where around. The Penobscot River is just behind Spencer's and the sandy bank is a great place to sit and watch the sunset with and ice cream cone. And if your not an ice cream guy maybe the fantastic fishing the Penobscot river has to offer will interest you. You can catch Small mouth bass, large mouth bass, Salmon, Bluegill and more. Bradley is small town heaven and a great place to grow up...Read 1 Review

• grade B minus

• grade B minus

• 1,715 Population

Milford

Current Resident: Great small town, perfect place to raise a family! I've lived here my whole life and can definitely see myself returning after I've completed school.Read 8 Reviews

• grade B minus

• grade C+

• 2,991 Population

Millinocket

• Town in Maine
• Rating 3.41 out of 5  22 reviews

Current Resident: What I like about Millinocket is that it is basically on the base of the beautiful Mt. Katahdin. Our town is small but everyone in town is helpful and friendly. We have a limited amount of jobs due to the recent economy but our town continues to thrive. Millinocket is a great place to visit during the fall, winter and summer. There are so many activities available like hunting, snowmobiling and summer activities. Our town is on the edge of the wilderness which makes it ideal for an outdoors person. That is as much as I can describe with the word count...Read 22 Reviews

• grade C

• grade C

• 4,287 Population

Glenburn

• Town in Maine
• Rating 3.08 out of 5  12 reviews

Current Resident: I moved to Glenburn 3 years ago. I live a quiet, safe neighborhood. There is no grocery store, healthcare facilities, or areas for teens to hang out but I live pretty close to the larger towns and city of Bangor, so the commute is not that bad...Read 12 Reviews

• grade B

• grade B

• 4,566 Population

Clifton

• Town in Maine
• Rating 2.71 out of 5  7 reviews

• grade B

• grade B+

• 844 Population

Holden

• Town in Maine
• Rating 3.6 out of 5  5 reviews

Niche User: I feel very safe in my neighborhood, and there is a lot of community throughout my town they hold lots of events that are fun for the whole family.Read 5 Reviews

• grade B minus

• grade B+

• 3,082 Population

Newburgh

• Town in Maine
• Rating 3.67 out of 5  6 reviews

Current Resident: Small town with friendly people! Not much here, but that's what we're here for. Full of nature and scenic views. Just don't blink while passing through.Read 6 Reviews

• grade B minus

• grade A minus

• 1,584 Population

Dixmont

• Town in Maine
• Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Niche User: Dixmont is a small town in the sticks. No fancy restaurants. No large superstores. Just me, my friends, and nature. Together we have all learned what people need to do, both as individuals and as a community, to get what we want and what we need; we can't just run to the supermarket next door when things get bad - there isn't one. Because of this, we are a close family who we can always count on. We don't just live in Dixmont, we thrive...Read 2 Reviews

• grade C+

• grade C+

• 1,282 Population

Levant

• Town in Maine
• Rating 3.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Niche User: I love this area. Great for kids. Only downside is the cold winters, but they are beautiful.Read 2 Reviews

• grade C+

• grade B

• 2,974 Population

Newport

• Town in Maine
• Rating 4.2 out of 5  5 reviews

Nearby Resident: Its not all that bad of of a town overall compared to others close by..but it sure has changed alot since I was a kid more drugs and crime and feel the etc..not alot for younger kids and teens to go do locally as everything closing down because the economy sucks so small mom n pop shops are done and all left is big fast food companies which are starting to close(121st was timmy ho'hos.which results in them more so then not causing mischief but can feel the community with everyone when something awful happends and it effects Newport as whole. It's like any other small town that ends up becoming a small city it seems yet lol...Read 5 Reviews

• grade C+

• grade C

• 3,257 Population

East Millinocket

• Town in Maine
• Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Current Resident: East Millinocket is a small town built along the Penobscot River in the heart of the Katahdin region. With a dense, untouched wilderness and abundance of lakes, rivers, and streams, East Millinocket is an outdoorsman's paradise. A few activities that this area offers during the winter are snowmobiling along never-ending miles of well-groomed trails, cross-country skiing, and ice-fishing. Spring and summer activities include camping, hiking beautiful trails in Baxter State Park, and whitewater rafting. East Millinocket also offers impressive sightings of native wildlife -- favorites being moose, bear, and deer. With a warm, friendly community and low crime-rate, East Millinocket provides a safe environment for children to explore and have fun freely...Read 1 Review

• grade C+

• grade C+

• 1,682 Population

Mattawamkeag

• Town in Maine

• grade C+

• grade unavailable

• 820 Population

Carmel

• Town in Maine
• Rating 3.18 out of 5  11 reviews

Current Resident: The town is small, where everyone knows each other. What could change is a store that is on route 2 going into Hermon. the store needs to be updated.Read 11 Reviews

• grade C+

• grade C+

• 2,799 Population

Charleston

• Town in Maine

• grade C+

• grade C

• 1,514 Population

Etna

• Town in Maine
• Rating 4.33 out of 5  3 reviews

Niche User: Very little crime happens here, Nearly every alarm is our fire stations helping some other town.Read 3 Reviews

• grade C+

• grade C+

• 1,051 Population

Alton

• Town in Maine

• grade C+

• grade B minus

• 888 Population