Here Are The 10 Most Dangerous Places In Maine After Dark

At Only in Maine, we like to focus on the beauty and love that exists within our state, but we also want to give you the full picture, which is why today, we’re sharing the most dangerous places in Maine. It’s not hard to find terrific things to write about on a daily basis. But, telling the whole story is just as important as making sure we remember all the good. As wonderful as Maine is, it’s not without its faults. Like every single state in the country, we have our good spots and our…less than good spots.

We’ve compiled a list of the most dangerous places in Maine, where you might want to be a bit more careful. But, before we get into that, we have to provide a disclaimer: Before we identify these cities as dangerous, we like to remember that a few months ago, the city considered our most “dangerous” was hailed as one of the safest places in America to live. So, take everything you read with a grain of salt! Also, while we’ve created a numbered list, these cities are not ranked. Because we are listing the #1 city in each category, they should all be looked at independently. View our 2014 FBI source data.

Portland, ME, USA

coreytempleton / Flickr

With 246 reported cases, Portland comes in #1 on the list of the most dangerous places in Maine yet again. Next on the list is Lewiston with 220 and Bangor with 182. But, from a per capita perspective the #1 spot goes to Rumford, followed by Skowhegan and then Bridgton. Read more about Portland, Maine.

Saco, ME, USA

sensibleabode / Flickr

Saco is, by all means, a lovely town. However, the town of almost 19,000 people ranks #1 in, what the FBI refers to as "Murder and Non-negligent Manslaughter." The actual number of reported incidents were 4. It's worth noting that when we calculated the rank using per capita numbers, Gouldsboro actually ranked first (at 57 per capita), followed by Wilton (at 25 per capita) and then Saco (at 21 per capita). There are definitely some great aspects about Saco, Maine, though. With plenty of charm, as long as you're careful you will be able to have a nice time. One example is the classic drive-in theater in Saco.

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Lewiston, ME, USA

Sam T / Flickr

With 21 cases, Lewiston comes in #1 for highest number of reported rapes. However, when looked at from a per capita perspective, places with smaller populations such as Carrabassett Valley, Farmington and Waterville actually rise to the top. Lewiston does have some beautiful nature though. Check out a beautiful river hike in Lewiston, Maine.

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Portland, ME, USA

grahamvphoto / Flickr

When it comes to robbery, Portland ranks highest in terms of actual incidents - a whopping 64. The number may sound small for a city, but second on the list is Lewiston at about HALF that number - 31. From a per capita perspective, Portland actually comes in second. Augusta takes the #1 spot with 123 robberies reported per 100,000 people. Learn more about Cumberland County, Maine.

Skowhegan, ME 04976, USA

David Wison / Flickr

Skowhegan earns its place on this list for coming in at over 4,000 cases per capita. Also in the top three for highest reported cases of motor vehicle theft per capita are Presque Isle and Bridgton. Even though it can be dangerous in certain parts, there is a lot of fun to be had if you like haunted lore. The town is supposedly haunted, and you can learn more about Skowhegan and its hauntings.

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Portland, ME, USA

Lawrence Whittemore / Flickr

Portland and Bangor come in almost tied when it comes to larceny theft on the list of dangerous places to avoid in Maine. Both had over 1,400 reported cases. Truth be told, Portland actually had more than that, but Bangor ranked high both in actual reported cases and from a per capita perspective. Again, looking at the reported cases per capita, #1, 2 and 3 were Augusta, Skowhegan and Bangor.

Augusta, ME 04330, USA

michelgagnon / Flickr

With 48 reported cases per capita, Augusta rules this list. #2 and 3 on the list per capita are Rockland and Bath. But, from an actual reported cases perspective, unsurprisingly, Portland is #1 with 13 actual reported cases. Read more about Augusta, Maine and other historic landmarks.

Portland, ME, USA

coreytempleton / Flickr

With 73 cases reported, Portland ranks #1 in terms of aggravated assault. A close second is Biddeford with 70 reported cases. From a per capita perspective, Biddeford, Machias and Dover-Foxcroft take spots #1, #2 and #2 respectively. Check out more information about Portland, Maine.

Now, an overall summary:

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Portland, ME, USA

coreytempleton / Flickr

Portland makes the list of the most dangerous places in Maine again at #9. It comes in at #1 when we look at all violent crime reported. The FBI includes murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault in this category. Per capita, Portland saw 158 reported cases of violent crime. That's almost 50 more than Biddeford, which comes in at #2.

Augusta, ME 04330, USA

Sam T / Flickr

Augusta comes in at #1 when looking at overall property crime. The FBI includes burglary, larceny theft, motor vehicle theft and arson in this category. Per capita, August saw more than 5,800 reported cases of property crime. #2 on the list is Skowhegan at about 5,500 and #2 is Bangor at about 5,100.

But, don’t let this get you down. Remember that the combined violent and property crime rate in Maine is 127.8 per 100,000 residents – second only to Vermont (99.3 crimes per 100,000). The nationwide average is 375.5 crimes per 100,000 people, so even the most dangerous places to avoid in Maine aren’t so bad!

Not interested in all this crime news? Read this list of Maine’s safest and most peaceful places to live!