Appreciation Velocity — Maine Cities
Cities of Maine ranked by 1Y / 3Y / 5Y home-price appreciation.
Public Record
Top 10 — 3Y appreciation (Countys)
#1 · Franklin, ME
+318.2%
#2 · Washington, ME
+248.7%
#3 · Sagadahoc, ME
+83.0%
#4 · Somerset, ME
+45.8%
#5 · Oxford, ME
+33.9%
#6 · Waldo, ME
+25.1%
#7 · Cumberland, ME
+19.7%
#8 · York, ME
+10.1%
#9 · Aroostook, ME
-7.3%
#10 · Hancock, ME
-11.2%
County ranking — 3Y appreciation (highest first)
| # | County | State | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Current median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franklin, ME | ME | -12.8% | +318.2% | -3.5% | +151.2% | $345K |
| 2 | Washington, ME | ME | +121.5% | +248.7% | +107.7% | +185.1% | $425K |
| 3 | Sagadahoc, ME | ME | -9.9% | +83.0% | +15.4% | +58.5% | $404.7K |
| 4 | Somerset, ME | ME | -44.5% | +45.8% | -5.6% | +24.9% | $194K |
| 5 | Oxford, ME | ME | -5.7% | +33.9% | +71.9% | +210.6% | $382.6K |
| 6 | Waldo, ME | ME | +34.9% | +25.1% | +69.7% | +177.5% | $460.5K |
| 7 | Cumberland, ME | ME | -8.6% | +19.7% | +38.9% | +159.5% | $611.9K |
| 8 | York, ME | ME | +11.2% | +10.1% | +79.6% | +181.5% | $679.7K |
| 9 | Aroostook, ME | ME | -21.0% | -7.3% | -16.2% | +33.2% | $159.7K |
| 10 | Hancock, ME | ME | -46.1% | -11.2% | +5.1% | +51.2% | $323K |
| 11 | Knox, ME | ME | -6.3% | -37.5% | +68.8% | +91.2% | $493.6K |
| 12 | Penobscot, ME | ME | -57.0% | -52.6% | -32.3% | +31.0% | $156.5K |
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.