Moving from New Jersey to Maine
Moving to Maine on the same salary raises your real buying power by 10.8%. Change the salary below to see your own numbers.
Equal salary in ME: $93,000
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $93,000 in Maine to match $105,000 in New Jersey ($12,000 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $105,000 | New Jersey | Maine |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $14,270 | $14,270 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $8,033 | $8,033 |
| State income tax | $4,499 | $5,527 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $631 | $525 |
| Take-home pay | $77,568 | $76,645 |
Key facts: New Jersey to Maine
- Median rent
- $1,800 → $1,210/mo
- Median home value
- $496,000 → $341,900
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 108.8 → 97.0
- Road distance
- ≈ 420 miles
- Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
- Among the highest → Above average
What changes when you move to Maine
- Your state taxes rise by about $923 a year on the same $105,000 salary.
- BEA's housing price index is 41% lower in Maine. Median rent goes from $1,800 to $1,210 a month and the median home value from $496,000 to $341,900.
- Homeowners pay less property tax: the median bill is $3,103 in Maine vs $9,358 in New Jersey.
- Prices for everyday goods are 9% lower (BEA). The statewide sales tax rate is 5.5% in Maine vs 6.625% in New Jersey, before local sales taxes.
Who moves from New Jersey to Maine
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 475 households (750 people) filed their taxes in Maine after filing in New Jersey the year before. That makes Maine the #26 destination for people leaving New Jersey. These households reported an average adjusted gross income of $112,059. Going the other way, 277 households moved from Maine to New Jersey, a net gain of 198 households for Maine.
Five-year trend
Moves from New Jersey to Maine peaked in 2020–21 at 508 households, then fell 6% by 2022–23. That is still up 29% from 2018–19.
Source: IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23.
Cost to move from New Jersey to Maine
Moving cost: $420–$6,270
Moving about 420 miles from New Jersey to Maine costs roughly $420 – $6,270, depending on how much of the work you hire out.
Distance between the states' population centers by road (estimate).
| Moving method | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) Truck rental, taxes and fees. Add fuel, damage coverage, lodging and your time. | $420 – $1,260 |
| Moving container You pack and load; the company drives the container. | $1,220 – $2,510 |
| Full-service movers Packing, loading, transport and unloading. | $2,020 – $6,270 |
These ranges are based on summer (peak-season) quotes. A move between October and April usually costs less: peak prices run 20–30% higher.
A rental truck also burns about 42 gallons of fuel over this distance. One-way truck rental prices depend on direction: a truck headed where many people are moving often costs more than the same trip in reverse.
Ranges combine 198 published quote ranges on 22 interstate routes (moveBuddha, retrieved 2026-09-24) with 47 independent published prices from U-Pack, HireAHelper and Move.org, which raised the top of several ranges. They are not quotes; get at least three written estimates.
Alaska and Hawaii ranges come from published carrier rates and moving quotes, dated in each row (Matson's household-goods rates, U-Pack, Royal Hawaiian Movers). See how we estimate.
Shipping a car from New Jersey to Maine
Car shipping: $660–$1,000
Shipping a sedan from New Jersey to Maine on an open carrier costs about $660–$1,000, typically 1–4 days in transit over about 420 miles.
Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published Hawaii and Alaska rates. SUVs cost about 25% more and enclosed carriers about 35% more. Not a quote.
New Jersey vs Maine take-home pay at every salary
| Salary | Equal salary in ME | Take-home change | Take-home in NJ | Take-home in ME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $44,500 | -$332 | $40,740 | $40,408 |
| $75,000 | $66,100 | -$658 | $58,491 | $57,833 |
| $100,000 | $88,500 | -$838 | $74,390 | $73,551 |
| $150,000 | $134,000 | -$1,983 | $105,606 | $103,623 |
| $250,000 | $224,300 | -$3,255 | $168,538 | $165,283 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. "Equal salary" keeps the same after-tax buying power.
Cost of living: New Jersey vs Maine
| Measure | New Jersey | Maine |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 108.8 | 97.0 |
| Housing price index | 134.3 | 78.9 |
| Utilities price index | 114.2 | 135.2 |
| Goods price index | 107.1 | 97.2 |
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,800 | $1,210 |
| Median home value | $496,000 | $341,900 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $9,358 | $3,103 |
| Electricity (residential) | 24.95¢/kWh | 29.59¢/kWh |
| State sales tax rate | 6.625% | 5.5% |
| Median household income | $104,294 | $76,442 |
Renting and buying: New Jersey vs Maine
| Measure | New Jersey | Maine |
|---|---|---|
| Income to rent the median home (30% rule) | $72,000 | $48,400 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $3,520 | $2,159 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $150,876 | $92,538 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,368 | $1,081 |
| Infant child care (center, yearly) | $20,213 | $15,730 |
Mortgage at the Freddie Mac 30-year average with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance that owners with a mortgage paid in 2024 (Census ACS). Premiums have risen in most states since then, so get quotes. See buying a home in Maine for other down payments.
Your yearly budget: New Jersey vs Maine
On a $105,000 salary, taxes, housing, electricity, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $60,798 a year in New Jersey and $55,965 in Maine if you rent: $4,833 less after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $81,443 and $67,356 ($14,087 less).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | NJ | ME | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $105,000, single filer | $27,432 | $28,355 | +$923 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,538 | $1,603 | +$65 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,573 | $856 | -$717 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $2,115 | $2,123 | +$8 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $6,540 | $8,508 | +$1,968 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent median, 12 months | $21,600 | $14,520 | -$7,080 |
| Total if you rent | $60,798 | $55,965 | -$4,833 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 6.95% | $31,519 | $21,727 | -$9,792 |
| Property tax median home | $9,358 | $3,103 | -$6,255 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,368 | $1,081 | -$287 |
| Total if you buy | $81,443 | $67,356 | -$14,087 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 state medians. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%, week of September 17, 2026).
State figures: EIA 2024 average residential power bill, NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on September 23, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $20,213 a year in New Jersey and $15,730 in Maine (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).
Cost of living in Maine cities: Portland, ME.
After you arrive in Maine
- Maine new resident checklist: driver license and vehicle registration deadlines.
- Taxes the year you move: part-year returns in New Jersey and Maine.
- How Maine taxes retirement income.
Frequently asked questions
How much salary do I need in Maine to live like I do in New Jersey?
A $105,000 salary in New Jersey works out to about $93,000 in Maine once 2026 federal and state taxes and BEA regional price levels are counted. At $100,000 it is about $88,500.
Will I pay less tax in Maine than in New Jersey?
No, about $923 more a year in income and payroll taxes on a $105,000 salary (26.1% of pay in New Jersey vs 27.0% in Maine). Property and sales taxes are shown separately.
How much does it cost to move from New Jersey to Maine?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 420 miles, expect roughly $420–$1,260 with a rental truck, $1,220–$2,510 with a moving container, or $2,020–$6,270 with full-service movers.
Are more people moving from New Jersey to Maine?
Moves from New Jersey to Maine peaked in 2020–21 at 508 households, then fell 6% by 2022–23. That is still up 29% from 2018–19.
How many people move from New Jersey to Maine?
IRS migration data for 2022–2023 show 475 households (750 people) moved from New Jersey to Maine, making Maine the #26 destination for people leaving New Jersey. 277 households moved the other way.
Is Maine cheaper than New Jersey?
Overall prices in Maine are 10.8% lower than New Jersey (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,210 vs $1,800 a month.
Compare other moves
Where people from New Jersey actually move
- NJ to New York 26,793 households
- NJ to Florida 20,113 households
- NJ to Pennsylvania 18,767 households
- NJ to California 6,470 households
- NJ to Texas 6,059 households
- NJ to North Carolina 6,003 households
- NJ to Virginia 4,296 households
- NJ to Georgia 3,725 households