Thousands of people moved to Maine since the pandemic. The influx isn’t over.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

THE INFLUX of new blood in the workforce could be a boon for the oldest state in the nation, but most who have settled here aren’t working for Maine companies.

NEARLY HALF have moved to the state’s southernmost counties: Cumberland and York.

DEMAND FOR HOUSING has driven up living costs and forced the state to confront its already dire need to build much more.

CLIMATE CHANGE played at least some role in the ongoing migration.

Hassan Karimi chuckles almost disbelievingly when he explains how he and his wife moved from New Jersey to Thomaston, a Midcoast town of fewer than 3,000 people.

“I’m still kind of surprised that we moved up here. We don’t really have any ties to Maine,” he said.

Before they began their search, they had only visited once — a weeklong trip in 2022.