Biggest Retail Cities in Maine: Top 25 Towns Ranked
Maine has 13,543 independent retail places spread across 298 towns. Portland leads with 959 — 7.1% of the state. The top 25 towns, and the eight most common store types, by count.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
Maine by the numbers
Where the stores are
Maine has 13,543 independent retail places — 970.3 per 100,000 residents, 1.34× the national average of 724.8 and 4th of the 50 states and D.C. on retail density.
Portland holds 959 of them (7.1% of the state total). Bangor is second with 577 (4.3%). The 25 towns below account for 47.5% of Maine's retail; 298 towns in the state have at least five places.
The most common store type is the construction supplies store (1,502, 11.1% of the state's retail), followed by gift stores (791).
Top 25 retail towns in Maine
Independent retail places per city or town, with each town's share of Maine's 13,543 total. Only towns with at least five places are counted.
| # | City / town | Retail places | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland | 959 | 7.1% |
| 2 | Bangor | 577 | 4.3% |
| 3 | South Portland | 440 | 3.2% |
| 4 | Augusta | 308 | 2.3% |
| 5 | Lewiston | 275 | 2.0% |
| 6 | Auburn | 271 | 2.0% |
| 7 | Scarborough | 254 | 1.9% |
| 8 | Biddeford | 250 | 1.8% |
| 9 | Brunswick | 230 | 1.7% |
| 10 | Ellsworth | 225 | 1.7% |
| 11 | Waterville | 225 | 1.7% |
| 12 | Freeport | 216 | 1.6% |
| 13 | Kittery | 215 | 1.6% |
| 14 | Rockland | 196 | 1.4% |
| 15 | Town of Windham | 193 | 1.4% |
| 16 | Bar Harbor | 182 | 1.3% |
| 17 | Westbrook | 177 | 1.3% |
| 18 | Kennebunk | 173 | 1.3% |
| 19 | Belfast | 166 | 1.2% |
| 20 | Wells | 166 | 1.2% |
| 21 | Sanford | 157 | 1.2% |
| 22 | Saco | 148 | 1.1% |
| 23 | Presque Isle | 147 | 1.1% |
| 24 | Brewer | 144 | 1.1% |
| 25 | Town of York | 136 | 1.0% |
Counts use the city/town label on each place, so boroughs, villages and unincorporated areas appear separately from their parent city.
Most common store types in Maine
The eight largest independent-retail categories in Maine, with each one's share of the state's 13,543 places.
| # | Store type | Places | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction Supplies Store | 1,502 | 11.1% |
| 2 | Gift Store | 791 | 5.8% |
| 3 | Furniture and Home Store | 686 | 5.1% |
| 4 | Miscellaneous Store | 645 | 4.8% |
| 5 | Hardware Store | 635 | 4.7% |
| 6 | Clothing Store | 616 | 4.5% |
| 7 | Antique Store | 574 | 4.2% |
| 8 | Print Store | 498 | 3.7% |
Each place is counted once under its primary retail category. Grocery, pharmacy, fuel, liquor, cannabis, automotive and mall categories are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
- Which city in Maine has the most retail stores?
- Portland, with 959 independent retail places — 7.1% of Maine's 13,543 total. Bangor is next with 577.
- How many independent retail stores are in Maine?
- 13,543 shoppable independent retail places, or 970.3 per 100,000 residents (1.34× the U.S. average of 724.8). That ranks Maine 4th of 51 for retail density.
- What is the most common type of store in Maine?
- The construction supplies store: 1,502 places, or 11.1% of Maine's retail. Gift Stores are second at 791.
Related reports
Store types where Maine ranks in the top 10
- Pet Stores by State: Every State RankedMaine ranks #1 per capita (32.7 per 100k)
- Antique Stores by State: Every State RankedMaine ranks #1 per capita (41.1 per 100k)
- Gift Shops by State: Every State RankedMaine ranks #2 per capita (56.7 per 100k)
- Florists by State: Every State RankedMaine ranks #2 per capita (25.3 per 100k)
- Thrift and Vintage Stores by State: Every State RankedMaine ranks #2 per capita (24.2 per 100k)
- Arts and Crafts Stores by State: Every State RankedMaine ranks #2 per capita (26.6 per 100k)
- Bookstores by State: Every State RankedMaine ranks #2 per capita (18.8 per 100k)
- Furniture Stores by State: Every State RankedMaine ranks #3 per capita (49.2 per 100k)
National retail reports
More states
- Biggest Retail Cities in Kansas: Top 25 Towns Ranked22,128 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Kentucky: Top 25 Towns Ranked32,108 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Louisiana: Top 25 Towns Ranked33,804 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Maryland: Top 25 Towns Ranked37,895 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Massachusetts: Top 25 Towns Ranked54,068 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Michigan: Top 25 Towns Ranked74,342 retail places
Data & method
- Source: Foursquare Open Source Places (U.S. slice, Apache-2.0), counted by Useful Economy. Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimates (July 1, 2023).
- What counts as retail: an open place carrying a Retail category label. Grocery and other food retail, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel, liquor, cannabis, tobacco and vape, automotive, gun and hunting, adult, betting, fireworks, markets and shopping malls are excluded, so the counts describe shoppable independent storefronts rather than all commerce.
- Counting rule: each place is counted once, under its primary retail category and the city/town label on its address. Town tables include only towns with at least five places. Per-100k figures divide by state population; city populations are not used.
- Generated: September 15, 2026. Figures refresh when the source data is re-counted.
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