Moving can be an incredibly strenuous and stressful process. To uproot one’s entire life, family, way of living, and home to relocate is practically a herculean task as is, made all the more difficult if the move is, in fact, across the country.
Searching for a Long-Distance Moving Company? Eden’s is the Answer
That’s why we are here for you at Eden’s Moving Services. We are a Colorado-based team of long-distance movers who specialize in preserving the sanctity of your family and belongings by relocating not just the things that make up your house but the things that make up your home across state lines.
While other cross-country moving companies may not handle your belongings with the care and attention you might hope, our team at Eden’s moving company has developed a reputation for being one of the most conscientious, efficient, and respectful groups of long-distance movers around.
Why is Maine Such a Popular Destination?
Over the past few years, one of the most increasingly popular long-distance routes we at Eden’s have seen come into popularity is people moving from Colorado to Maine. This begs the question: what exactly is it about Maine that has made so many Coloradans head for the east coast?
The Beauty of Maine’s Weather
For starters, Maine is a beautiful state. The state’s positioning on the Atlantic coast of the U.S., right in the midst of New England, gives residents the full experience of living through all four seasons each year. Compared to Colorado, there’s a lot less desert in Maine and a lot more rain. From fall to winter to spring to summer, Maine features persistently gorgeous weather that makes it an incredibly nice area to live in.
Maine’s Cold, Snow-Filled Winters
Maine winters can be quite brisk and cold, but spring sees the state warming up and blossoming beautifully before summer routinely brings about the three most gorgeous months of the year for the state.
So though the winters can be harsh, it is more than worth it to make it through to those Maine summers, and it’s also worth noting that Maine winters do not seem particularly rough to Colorado natives who’ve experienced winter in the Rocky state.
The snow is frequently beautiful, with Northern Maine getting, on average, about 100 inches of fresh snow per winter season. The resulting blanketing tundra is undeniably cold but absolutely beautiful and brings about many great snow-based activities.
The Cost of Living in Maine
But, as scenic and beautiful as Maine is, there’s a fairly obvious reason why so many Coloradans find it so enticing to move to. The cost of living in Maine is 97, three points lower than the U.S. national average of 100. In stark contrast, the cost of living in Colorado is 120.5. This means that according to recent research and polling, the cost of living in Colorado is 202% higher than the cost of living in Maine.
This low cost of living and bevy of, on average lower price ranges, is one of Maine’s most tempting allures. Even in the state’s biggest cities, such as Portland or Fort Collins, the prices in markets and most restaurants are quite low comparatively, especially when held up against the price ranges in a city like Denver, Colorado.
The Cost of a Studio Apartment in Maine vs. Colorado
Simultaneously, the housing prices of renting and/or buying a home in Maine are substantially lower than in Colorado. For reference, an average studio apartment in Maine costs approximately $796 per month, an astoundingly low price. Meanwhile, Colorado consistently ranks as one of the ten most expensive states to rent in for its incredibly high prices.
Sales Tax in Maine
However, for as wonderfully low as the cost of living as a whole is in the Pine Tree State, the team here at Eden’s does absolutely want you to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into and set proper expectations. So, it’s important to recognize that while living in Maine, you will be paying substantially high taxes.
In fact, Maine is among the most heavily taxed states in the U.S., with surprisingly high property taxes as well as income taxes. Maine also sports an unusually high sales tax and excise tax.
Comparing the Taxes of Colorado to Maine
While this high sales tax and excise tax does help to contribute to keeping the prices of everything so low and affordable, it’s an important factor to keep in mind when planning to relocate there.
For reference, the sales tax in Colorado is 2.9%. Conversely, in Maine, it is 5.5%, nearly double that of Colorado.
Maine’s Record-Setting Low Crime Rates
According to years worth of analytics and polling, Maine is one of the safest states to live in the entire country. As of 2022, Maine is ranked number one for safety in the U.S. and is ranked as having the fourth lowest property crime rate in the country, as well. Compare this to Colorado, whose property crime rate is more than double Maine’s and whose violent crime rate is more than quadruple that of Maine.
Maine is the Safest Place to Live in the United States
Colorado and Maine are states defined by small-town living, with a couple of larger cities peppered in amongst the small towns that make up the bulk of their state.
The larger cities, such as Portland or Denver, can very much tend to be their own beasts (crowded, rowdy, excited, rush hour, etc.), but it’s crucial to note that even just in stacking the small towns of each state up against one another, Maine is definitively the safer place to live.
Registering a Vehicle in Maine
To register a car in Maine, one has to visit a municipality’s office in your new Maine-based hometown to pay excisable taxes.
Excise taxes must then be paid annually for the registration. This fee is charged to municipalities and may vary depending on the manufacturer’s suggested retail price for your specific vehicle.
The Varying Price of the Excise Tax for Your Car
Prices for this excise tax range from $4 to $1000. When you visit your town office, you’ll have to bring your Maine title for vehicle models dated 1995 or later.
You also have to apply for the title as required and pay the fees for your registration. In this case, it doesn’t matter whether your vehicle was built after the 1995 model.
Getting a Maine Driver’s License
To get a valid driver’s license in Maine, most Mainers need to apply through or contact the License Information Units at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles Headquarters. According to their website and information, new residents of Maine should receive their new license within three months of moving to Maine.
Maine’s School System
Similar to other states surrounding Maine in the New England region (such as New Hampshire or Rhode Island), Maine has a long-standing tradition of excelling in its schools. Specifically, Maine invests more money per student and has a much smaller average class size compared to the national average of those two statistics.
The Five Best School Districts in Maine
This system of putting more funding into education and keeping class sizes reasonable has, unsurprisingly, resulted in better schools and better results for its students. The high standard of education in Maine is most evident in the following school districts:
- Yarmouth School Department
- Falmouth Public Schools
- MSAD #51
- Cape Elizabeth School Department
- Scarborough Schools
In the national rankings, Maine is currently ranked as the twenty-eighth-best state in the U.S. for education. For comparison’s sake, Colorado is ranked as the fifth-best state for education.
The Job Market in Maine
As with almost every state, Maine and its jobs were struck by the coronavirus pandemic during the last two years. However, it is important to note that Maine has now nearly all but bounced back entirely, with its jobs becoming a secure and safe place once again.
Great Low Unemployment Rates in Maine
As reported by the Maine Department of Labor, the unemployment rate in Maine is now down to 3.3%, the lowest it has been in 25 months. In addition to this, the hourly earning average of workers in Maine has remained higher than the nationwide average, coming in at $27.89 per hour.
The Beautiful Attractions of Maine
With Maine being positioned right alongside the Atlantic Ocean and being deeply entrenched in centuries of history all around it, Maine has many sights to see that bring tourists and residents together to witness their beauty. What California is to the Pacific Ocean, Maine is to the Atlantic Ocean.
Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island
Located on Mount Desert Island, Acadia National Park is a 49,000-acre large preservation of coastal Maine where the north woods meet the Atlantic shore.
On average, it sees approximately 3.5 million visitors each year and is an expansive nature experience that is home to woods, beaches, islands, and even large granite peaks such as the gorgeous Cadillac Mountain, which is one of the tallest mountains in the eastern U.S., with the highest-reaching peak on the entire east coast.
Portland Head
Originally built in 1791, Portland Head Light is the oldest lighthouse in Maine. Lighthouses are a fairly common sight throughout the state, given Maine’s precarious perch upon the Atlantic shore and the necessity of guiding wayfaring ships safely into the harbor. However, none are quite as beautiful or historic as this light station, located in Cape Elizabeth. This has also become a go-to place for lobster rolls, one of the most iconic pieces of food in Maine’s storied history and one of the most delicious pieces of food as well.
Helping You Move From Colorado to Maine
There are dozens of reasons to want to move. Whether you’re looking to be closer to extended family, further away from them, closer to resources you need for your job, closer to public spaces you are interested in being at, relocating to weather that better suits your personal desires, etc.
You name it, and it’s a valid reason.
But it’s clear why so many Colorado residents have recently taken such an interest in moving to Maine. It’s a beautiful state that has a lot to offer. This is exactly why the team here at Eden’s long-distance movers is here for you every step of the way; to make sure that all that you expect to happen does happen and that all of your precious valuables and belongings are well taken care of.
Eden’s Moving Services History
Since being established back in 2008, our team here at Eden’s has spent nearly fifteen years delivering precise and considerate moving services to residents of Colorado and beyond. What began in 2008 with a simple rental truck has since evolved into an entire organization of workers with over 40 years of moving experience and a veritable fleet of trucks, trailers, and moving equipment.
Why Eden’s is More Than Other Cross-Country Moving Companies
But even as our team and resources have grown, Eden’s has remained true to the same basic principles that brought us success in the first place: personable, precise, hard workers who show up ready to get the job done as efficiently, quickly, and affordably as possible to make an incredibly stressful time in your life as clean and easy as it possibly can be.
What’s the Cost of Moving from Colorado to Maine?
At Eden’s, we offer free in-person or even over video-call walkthrough estimates so that one of our trained specialists can consult with you and provide you with a quote. The cost to move from Denver, Colorado, to Portland, Maine, is between $3,800 to $25,400, depending on how many bedrooms there are and the shipment size (cubic feet). Moving from Colorado to Maine is not simple, and you undoubtedly have plenty of questions for us, so please feel more than welcome to contact us at (720) 370-3455 so that we can begin the process and be there for you every step of the way.
We here at Eden’s pride ourselves on providing honest moving and storage service, so we’re always going to do everything we can to keep you safe and your belongings safe, to make sure that you don’t pay a penny more than you absolutely have to, and to make sure you get everything out of this relocation experience that you could possibly want.
