Appreciation Velocity — Maine Cities
Cities of Maine ranked by 1Y / 3Y / 5Y home-price appreciation.
Public Record
Top 10 — 3Y appreciation (Citys)
#1 · Eagle Lake, ME
+492.6%
#2 · Belgrade, ME
+369.4%
#3 · Machias, ME
+293.3%
#4 · Waterville, ME
+252.1%
#5 · Gray, ME
+236.0%
#6 · Levant, ME
+166.8%
#7 · Casco, ME
+163.0%
#8 · Hampden, ME
+89.9%
#9 · Old Town, ME
+79.0%
#10 · Carrabassett Valley, ME
+71.8%
City ranking — 3Y appreciation (highest first)
| # | City | State | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Current median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eagle Lake, ME | ME | -46.7% | +492.6% | -23.5% | +21.9% | $320K |
| 2 | Belgrade, ME | ME | -20.7% | +369.4% | +49.9% | +112.3% | $445.9K |
| 3 | Machias, ME | ME | -13.3% | +293.3% | +46.6% | +142.3% | $239.9K |
| 4 | Waterville, ME | ME | +149.0% | +252.1% | +400.5% | +352.9% | $721.9K |
| 5 | Gray, ME | ME | +7.0% | +236.0% | +147.9% | +113.2% | $518.6K |
| 6 | Levant, ME | ME | — | +166.8% | -23.3% | — | $184.1K |
| 7 | Casco, ME | ME | +82.7% | +163.0% | -72.4% | +145.2% | $469.1K |
| 8 | Hampden, ME | ME | +226.6% | +89.9% | +396.7% | +450.2% | $1.19M |
| 9 | Old Town, ME | ME | -46.0% | +79.0% | +68.8% | +141.7% | $179K |
| 10 | Carrabassett Valley, ME | ME | -68.2% | +71.8% | -52.0% | +44.5% | $264.1K |
| 11 | Bangor, ME | ME | +12.8% | +71.2% | +34.6% | +120.3% | $363.8K |
| 12 | Millinocket, ME | ME | — | +55.3% | -12.3% | +107.1% | $128.9K |
| 13 | Livermore Falls, ME | ME | +77.6% | +54.7% | +39.6% | +107.3% | $273.1K |
| 14 | South Portland, ME | ME | -0.6% | +52.2% | +231.8% | +251.8% | $660K |
| 15 | Limestone, ME | ME | — | +48.8% | — | — | $119.1K |
| 16 | Saco, ME | ME | +5.9% | +45.5% | +18.4% | +186.5% | $709.7K |
| 17 | Springvale, ME | ME | -6.7% | +43.4% | — | — | $419.5K |
| 18 | Augusta, ME | ME | -4.1% | +35.7% | +63.8% | +117.6% | $325K |
| 19 | Skowhegan, ME | ME | -54.5% | +26.1% | +99.8% | +58.3% | $189K |
| 20 | Portland, ME | ME | -11.5% | +24.3% | +33.1% | +133.6% | $563.3K |
| 21 | Hermon, ME | ME | +25.0% | +22.5% | +172.4% | — | $490K |
| 22 | Lewiston, ME | ME | +4.0% | +19.3% | +81.0% | +55.7% | $304.3K |
| 23 | Presque Isle, ME | ME | -17.4% | +14.6% | +21.5% | +84.6% | $207.8K |
| 24 | Auburn, ME | ME | -8.7% | +7.8% | +67.4% | +48.0% | $340.3K |
| 25 | New Portland, ME | ME | — | -4.2% | +14.9% | — | $194K |
| 26 | Mexico, ME | ME | -52.3% | -5.5% | — | — | $112.5K |
| 27 | Ogunquit, ME | ME | +46.9% | -7.8% | — | +1,056.7% | $1.55M |
| 28 | Windham, ME | ME | +3.0% | -7.9% | +35.9% | +147.8% | $685.5K |
| 29 | Wilton, ME | ME | +398.4% | -8.4% | +165.9% | +116.8% | $259.2K |
| 30 | Rockland, ME | ME | +0.3% | -8.8% | +36.2% | +167.8% | $351.1K |
| 31 | York, ME | ME | +0.3% | -10.1% | +109.0% | +179.1% | $1.1M |
| 32 | Brunswick, ME | ME | +44.5% | -15.2% | +142.9% | +728.8% | $571.9K |
| 33 | Kennebunk, ME | ME | -38.4% | -18.7% | +19.4% | +44.1% | $470K |
| 34 | Bethel, ME | ME | -27.2% | -28.8% | +61.3% | +418.8% | $527.5K |
| 35 | Old Orchard Beach, ME | ME | -52.8% | -32.5% | -16.5% | +25.1% | $289.2K |
How to read these numbers
Velocity vs. level
A market with 25% one-year appreciation is moving fast — but a market with steady 6% over ten years has compounded much further. Use 10Y as the long-run signal, 1Y as the momentum signal.
Mean-reversion risk
Markets that posted huge 1Y and 3Y gains often cool over the next cycle. Compare 1Y to 5Y: if 1Y is far above 5Y, the trend is accelerating; if far below, it is decelerating — often the more important signal.
Sample sanity
We require a minimum current median price (default $50K) to filter out tiny ZIPs with noisy data. Raise that threshold for serious investment markets; lower it to find emerging niches. Source: public record.