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Overall Rating: 83/100 · 105,000 veterans (9.5% of population)
Reviewed 2026. Programs and exemptions verified against Maine veterans-affairs and tax-authority sources.
Benefit details verified January 2025. Tax exemptions, caps, and eligibility change and can vary by county — always confirm current figures with your county assessor and your Maine Department of Veterans Affairs before you rely on them.
100% exempt from state income tax
1.33% average effective rate
$6,000 of value ($50,000 if SAH/paraplegic)
100% rating: $6,000 off just value (or $50,000 if specially-adapted-housing/paraplegic). Nothing below 100% (except wartime vets 62+).
Source ↗No veteran-specific exemptions (5.5% state)
$72,500
VA Medical Center
1 VA Center, Augusta, ME 04330
(207) 623-8411
24/7 emergency, PTSD residential treatment, substance abuse, mental health, full service
Free tuition
100% tuition waiver for dependents of 100% P&T disabled veterans at state schools
4-year value: $32,000
Median Home
$665,000
1BR Rent
$1,650/mo
COL Index
117
Unemployment
2.9%
Major employers: MaineHealth, WEX, IDEXX, Portland city government
Pros: VA clinic, coastal living, strong healthcare sector, tax-free military retirement
Cons: High housing costs, cold winters, limited property tax relief
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$0 down, no PMI. Funding fee waived for service-connected veterans.
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Qualified honorably discharged veterans receive 5 preference points added to their application score on state classified-service exams; veterans with a 10% or greater service-connected disability receive 10 points.
Official source ↗Under Public Law 2015 Ch. 438, any veteran (or Gold Star spouse) who meets the minimum qualifications for a classified State vacancy must be offered an interview.
Official source ↗Resident veterans with a service-connected disability rated 50% or more receive a complimentary lifetime hunting, fishing, and trapping license (including most permits and, if qualified, a guide license).
Official source ↗Honorably discharged Maine resident veterans qualify for a free lifetime day-use pass to state parks, historic sites, and museums; resident disabled veterans with a Maine Disabled Veteran plate are exempt from reservation and camping fees.
Official source ↗100% service-connected disabled veterans receive registration certificate and 'Disabled Veteran' plates with no annual registration fee, and are exempt from excise tax and title fees (up to 3 vehicles, gross weight not over 26,000 lbs).
Official source ↗Maine offers Special Veteran plates plus fee-exempt Purple Heart, Former POW, Medal of Honor, and Pearl Harbor Survivor plates (registration fee exempt on vehicles up to 10,000 lbs).
Official source ↗State-chartered veterans' homes in Augusta, Bangor, Caribou, Machias, Scarborough, and South Paris provide long- and short-term skilled nursing and rehabilitative care. Open to honorably discharged veterans who were Maine residents at entry to service or are current Maine residents; eligible spouses, surviving spouses, and Gold Star parents may also qualify. No combat or service-connected disability required.
Official source ↗An unremarried surviving spouse (also minor child or dependent parent) of a qualifying veteran is eligible for the veteran's property tax exemption in the same amount the deceased veteran would have received; the base veteran exemption is $6,000 of valuation.
Official source ↗Provides a tuition waiver at Maine public universities and community colleges for eligible dependents/spouses of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled, MIA, or died of a service-connected disability or in action.
Official source ↗Sourced from official state agencies; programs and eligibility change — confirm with your Maine Department of Veterans Affairs before applying.