The town most commonly named as the poorest in Maine is Perry in Washington County, based on poverty-rate rankings that place it at the top of the list. One widely cited ranking shows Perry with about 35.1% of residents living below the poverty level.
Why Perry Is Named
These rankings usually use poverty rate, not income alone, which is why a town with a small population can rank highest. In the list I found, Perry ranked ahead of Lubec and Danforth, both also in Washington County.
A Wider Maine Context
Maine has several towns with high poverty rates, and different sources may name different places depending on the dataset and year used. Another recent source highlighted Waldoboro as having one of the highest poverty burdens in the country, showing that these rankings can shift depending on how the data is measured.
Why Rankings Differ
The “poorest town” label is not always permanent because sources may rely on different Census years, different poverty measures, or different geographic definitions. That is why one article may say Perry, while another may point to a different town or even a larger place like a city.
SOURCES :
- https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/trip-ideas/maine/10-poorest-towns-me
- https://stacker.com/stories/maine/cities-maine-most-living-poverty
