Housing for Maine families has improved substantially since 1960, when the federal census categorized 57,000 of Maine's 364,650 housing units as deteriorated or dilapidated. Between 1970 and 1980, over 115,000 new units were built. However, about 32% of the entire housing stock was built in 1939 or earlier.
There were an estimated 664,613 housing units in Maine in 2002. Approximately 536,194 of the total units were occupied, with 72% being owner-occupied. About 67.7% of all units are single-family, detached homes. Fuel oils and kerosene are the primary heating fuel for most units. It was estimated that 9,630 units lacked telephone service, 5,081 lacked complete plumbing facilities, and 4,058 lacked complete kitchen facilities. The average household size was 2.35 people.
In 2002, 7,207 privately owned units were authorized for construction. About one-seventh of all Maine homes are for seasonal rather than year-round use. The median home value is $121,036. The median monthly cost for mortgage owners was $971. Renters paid a median of $552 per month. During 2002, Maine received over $31 million in community planning and development aid from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.