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lucidlilacdream t1_j1ytynj wrote

Reply to comment by MoldyNalgene in Newcomers to New Hampshire and Maine continue to drive population growth: More people are dying than being born, so population growth depends on people moving in from elsewhere by TurretLauncher

We actually moved here from Arizona, and I assumed the taxes would be much higher since it’s the northeast. But, taxes are surprisingly pretty comparable.

Cost of living, in general, is higher though. I agree local wages are low compared to the COL as well. Usually as COL rises, pay does as well. Maine employers don’t seem to get that. Remote work is really the only way to make it work, unless you are in a high demand, highly skilled healthcare field.

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ralphy1010 t1_j1yx5kg wrote

that's been a thing for a while now, people can't understand why no one is interested in the min wage job with no benefits they are advertising. Instead they cry how no one wants to work anymore.

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w1nn1ng1 t1_j1zhpip wrote

It’s pretty crazy how brainwashed they have us. I’m a network engineer by trade. In Maine, at my peak, I was making around $80k. I was constantly told I was overpaid and that I didn’t work hard enough. Fast forward to today. I now work for a company based out of San Francisco. When they offered me my job, I figured they start me at around $70k. I was astonished when they offered me $90k and apologized they couldn’t offer more. I’ve been here for two years. I work half as hard as I used to and my boss is over the moon with my performance. It’s bizarre. Maine employers are just shit level.

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lucidlilacdream t1_j20b8eg wrote

It doesn’t help that many people have never left the state or New England. Hopefully this changes over time, but there’s definitely some idea that you should just be glad to have a job and have no problem working overtime simply because you are employed, which is pretty short sighted given the labor shortage…

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metalandmeeples t1_j1yyf1r wrote

Aren't property taxes significantly lower in AZ? I'm sure it's dependent on the municipality, but my parents are paying 4x the property tax since moving back home. AZ also has much lower income tax, no excise tax on vehicles, etc. Sales tax is much higher though.

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lucidlilacdream t1_j1yzz2w wrote

Maybe it depends on the town? Our property taxes are pretty much identical in Brunswick as they were in Arizona, and we were in Tucson, so not Scottsdale or something. I’m sure taxes are higher in Portland and the nearby towns.

The income tax is really about the same. I was very surprised when I got my first paycheck, I assumed I would be paying a lot more in taxes. It is slightly higher, but nothing compared to friends that moved from AZ to California and Minnesota. It’s really not much of a notable difference, except that the K-12 schools are much better funded here.

Food is a lot more expensive, and heating is expensive. Car maintenance is more because of winter. So, in general COL, yes, is higher.

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metalandmeeples t1_j1z1577 wrote

Brunswick has a high mill rate but, generally speaking, the average property tax burden of each resident increases every step south until you hit Falmouth. Even though mill rates vary, the assessed values keep climbing the closer one gets to Portland. Portland and South Portland are different because they are larger cities with more diverse housing options, not unlike Brunswick. Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth also have a very high property tax burden per resident.

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lucidlilacdream t1_j1z1zjb wrote

Property taxes go up in the more affluent parts of AZ. This is true everywhere. Of course taxes are going to be high in Cape Elizabeth, that is the wealthiest part of Maine. But, yes, I’m sure it’s higher in Cape Elizabeth compared to most places.

I do understand that Portland taxes are higher though, and that it doesn’t necessarily correlate with wages because property values shot up. Also, that they continue to increase.

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metalandmeeples t1_j1z438i wrote

One thing I've found interesting is the relationship between property assessments and school funding provided by the state. MSAD 51 (Cumberland / North Yarmouth) received a higher percentage of their school funding from the state than nearby towns that are both less affluent and more affluent. 46.23% of their school budget is paid by the state. Brunswick only gets 38% from the state and Freeport/Pownal/Durham only gets 26.57%. There are some other outliers, like Gorham, which has 58.38% covered.

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