Maine ranks 14th in national report on life satisfaction

MAINE MORNING STAR • June 16, 2026

A report found Maine 14th out of all states on a number of factors that impact life satisfaction, ranking high on the environment and civil liberties but low on measures such as children and families, economic output and mental health. Maine received the top ranking for net greenhouse gas emissions and ranked third for air quality. Maine also ranked first for civil liberties, which the report calculated based on the rate of press freedom violations, such as assaults of reporters and restricting coverage, per 1 million residents. On the other hand, Maine ranked low for fatal overdoses (43rd) and youth depression (42nd). Maine’s lowest rank of 44th was for economic output, which is based on real gross domestic product.