Beach Towns
Best Beach Towns in Southern Maine
Southern Maine's beach corridor runs from York up through Scarborough — soft sand, working harbors, and year-round villages that don't board up after Labor Day. Here's how the serious buyer's shortlist actually breaks down.
Year-round vs. seasonal
The first filter is whether you want a true year-round community or accept a town that swings hard with the seasons. Ogunquit and Kennebunkport empty out in February. Saco's Camp Ellis / Pine Point area, Scarborough, and downtown Wells stay year-round busy. York sits in between with a strong full-time community.
The six that get shortlisted
Six towns absorb most relocation interest on the coast. Each has a distinct personality, price point, and year-round rhythm.
- •Ogunquit — Marginal Way, art galleries, peak-season premium
- •Wells — seven miles of beach, strong year-round community
- •York — historic Nubble, walkable Short Sands, Portsmouth access
- •Kennebunkport — Goose Rocks, Dock Square, top-end coastal pricing
- •Saco — Camp Ellis + Ferry/Bay View, downtown 5 minutes inland
- •Scarborough — Higgins, Pine Point, Old Orchard reach, marshes
Town shortlist
Where this plays out, town by town.
York County
Ogunquit
Iconic, walkable, deeply seasonal.
Explore Ogunquit
York County
Wells
Long beach, year-round community, value.
Explore Wells
York County
York
History, two beaches, near Portsmouth.
Explore York
York County
Kennebunkport
Goose Rocks, Dock Square, top-end.
Explore Kennebunkport
York County
Saco
Camp Ellis coast + true downtown.
Explore Saco
Cumberland County
Scarborough
Marshes, beaches, 15-min Portland.
Explore ScarboroughFAQ
Questions buyers ask Bill
Keep reading
More from the relocation guide
Every chapter of the Moving to Southern Maine guide — interlinked so you can shortlist towns the way buyers actually do.
Cost of Living
Cost of Living in Southern Maine (2026)
Southern Maine is more affordable than coastal Massachusetts on almost every household line item — but the housing range is wide, and the towns you shortlist will swing your monthly number more than any other variable.
Read chapterFamilies
Best Towns for Families in Southern Maine
Schools, recreation, and a manageable commute do most of the work for families considering Southern Maine. These towns combine top-rated public districts with family housing you can actually find.
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Portland is the gravitational center of Southern Maine — Maine Medical, the Jetport, the Old Port, Idexx, WEX, and a deep professional-services bench. These towns deliver real housing value with manageable commutes.
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Retiring in Southern Maine
Southern Maine has quietly become one of the East Coast's strongest retirement destinations. Walkable downtowns, the Atlantic, low crime, and MaineHealth's Maine Medical Center draw retirees from across the Northeast.
Read chapterMA → ME
Moving from Massachusetts to Maine
More than half of the relocation buyers Bill works with come from Massachusetts. The trade is usually clear: lower cost, more space, and a coast that still feels like a coast — in exchange for snow and a longer drive to Logan.
Read chapterTaxes
Property Taxes in Southern Maine
Property tax in Maine is set municipally. Each town establishes a mill rate — dollars of tax per $1,000 of assessed value — based on its budget and the certified ratio of assessed to market value. Rates vary materially across Southern Maine.
Read chapterWinter
Winter Living in Southern Maine
The most common Massachusetts question is also the easiest one to answer: yes, winter is real, and no, it's not what you think. Coastal Southern Maine is meaningfully milder than inland New England — the Atlantic moderates everything.
Read chapterTour Southern Maine beach towns with Bill.
Bill Barbin at Keller Williams has helped hundreds of relocation buyers shortlist Southern Maine towns and write winning offers. Start a real conversation — no pressure.