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City · 6,088 residents · Kennebec County, Maine

Gardiner , Maine

In Gardiner, a typical home is worth $221,600 and typical rent is $1,113 a month. Compared with all of Kennebec County, typical rent is 12% higher, the typical home value is 7% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 5 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $221,600

    7% below the county

    25% below Maine

    • Gardiner
    • Kennebec
    • Maine

  • Typical rent

    $1,113a month

    12% above the county

    2% below Maine

    • Gardiner
    • Kennebec
    • Maine

  • Typical household income

    $71,782a year

    4% above the county

    4% below Maine

    • Gardiner
    • Kennebec
    • Maine

  • Households that own their home

    68%

    5 points below the county

    6 points below Maine

    • Gardiner
    • Kennebec
    • Maine

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$285,311
4.4% less than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$1,512 a month

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Gardiner is in Kennebec County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Kennebec County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Gardiner apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. According to Zillow, in the 12 months to September 2026 the typical home value in Gardiner fell 4.4%; in Maine, it rose 1.6%.

  2. Nearby, in Augusta, the typical rent is $919: 17% less than in Gardiner ($1,113).

  3. 68% of households in Gardiner own their home, against 74% in Kennebec County.

Sources: Zillow (September 2026 data); U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024). Zillow data

The homes here

Housing in Gardiner

What homes there are in Gardiner, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

The detached house is still the most common home in Gardiner, but it weighs less than in Kennebec County: 61% against 68%.

Year built

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

The FHA limit for Kennebec County is high ($541,287): at least 99% of owner-occupied homes in Gardiner are worth less than $500,000.

Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,612 a month

Kennebec County: $1,499 a month

Without a mortgage

$595 a month

Kennebec County: $593 a month

Owners with a mortgage

63%

Kennebec County: 59%

In Gardiner, 63% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $1,612 a month, against $1,499 in Kennebec County. Without one it drops to $595.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Since 2015–2019, homes in Gardiner gained value faster than in Kennebec County: 58% against 49%.

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Gardiner rose 52%, more than in Kennebec County (30%).

Housing prices ran ahead of income in Gardiner: typical income rose 45%, against +58% for home values and +52% for rent.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureGardinerKennebec CountyMaineUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate4.2%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0.7%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate1.3%1.4%3.4%
People per household 2.212.252.262.53
Drive alone 73%74%71%69%
Carpool 7%7%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate3%4%3%
Work from home 14%15%16%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Much as in Kennebec County, a household in Gardiner has 2.21 people on average.

To get to work, 73% of workers in Gardiner drive alone; in Kennebec County, 74%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Gardiner?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in Gardiner, worth $221,600, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 32% of the typical household income in Gardiner, which is $71,782 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $81,143 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Kennebec County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Gardiner. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $7,756 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,893

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$217,586
Total interest
$313,056
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $3,742 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,675 a month

  • Tight

    $1,675 to $2,153 a month

    Your payment · 32%

  • Hard

    more than $2,153 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Gardiner ($71,782 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,893
Principal & interest$1,474
Property tax$229
Home insurance$92
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$98

You need at least $7,756 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Gardiner and Kennebec County

Gardiner is in Kennebec County, Maine. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Gardiner's own numbers

Typical home value
$221,600
Typical monthly rent
$1,113
Typical yearly household income
$71,782
Households that own their home
68%
Effective property tax rate
1.24%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Kennebec County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,374
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+71%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
2.8%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Kennebec County.

Everything about Kennebec County

Buying

Buying a home in Gardiner

A typical home in Gardiner is worth $221,600: 7% below the county and 25% below Maine. With the typical household income in Gardiner ($71,782 a year), a typical home costs 3.1 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Gardiner 3.1 years
  • Kennebec 3.4 years
  • Maine 4.0 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Kennebec County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Kennebec County rose 108% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Kennebec County.

Period County Maine U.S.
Last year (2025) +5.1% +4.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +71% +68% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +108% +112% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Gardiner next to Kennebec County, Maine and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Gardiner $221,600
  • Kennebec $238,200
  • Maine $296,600
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Gardiner $1,113
  • Kennebec $992
  • Maine $1,139
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Gardiner $71,782
  • Kennebec $69,077
  • Maine $74,733
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Gardiner next to Kennebec County and Maine
Measure Gardiner Kennebec County Maine U.S.
Typical home value $221,600 $238,200 $296,600 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,113 $992 $1,139 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $71,782 $69,077 $74,733 $80,734
Households that own their home 68% 74% 74% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $2,742 $2,605 $3,036 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.24% 1.09% 1.02% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 45% 49% 48% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Kennebec County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Gardiner

For a typical $221,600 home in Gardiner, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Gardiner's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,893a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $7,756
    Cash to close
    $14,404
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $98

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,853a month

    Down payment
    $11,080
    Cash to close
    $17,728
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $105

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,522a month

    Down payment
    $44,320
    Cash to close
    $50,968
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,727a month

    Down payment
    $33,240
    Cash to close
    $39,888
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Gardiner and for Kennebec County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Gardiner

1.24%of the home’s value each year

$2,742 a year for the typical owner in Gardiner.

  • Gardiner 1.24%
  • Kennebec 1.09%
  • Maine 1.02%

What Maine publishes Homestead exemption of up to $25,000 of value (Maine Revenue Services)

Exemptions and deadlines in Maine

Flood risk in Kennebec County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Kennebec County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
2.8%
1,368
Of those, with NFIP insurance
13%
County Maine U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 2.8% 1% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 13% 79% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Gardiner

Typical rent in Gardiner is $1,113 a month: 12% above the county. In Gardiner, 45% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Kennebec County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,374 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $26.42 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Kennebec County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,043 $20.06 $41,720
1 bedroom $1,050 $20.19 $42,000
2 bedrooms $1,374 $26.42 $54,960
3 bedrooms $1,767 $33.98 $70,680
4 bedrooms $2,167 $41.67 $86,680

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Gardiner

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Gardiner has 2 ZIP codes with their own.

For 2 bedrooms it runs from $1,390 in 04359 to $1,420 in 04345.

2 of the 2 are above the fair market rent for Kennebec County ($1,374).

  • 04345 $1,420$1,980
  • 04359 $1,390$1,790

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Gardiner when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Gardiner

HUD lists one building with rents for lower incomes in Gardiner.

  • Summer Street Workforce Housing 58 Summer St, Gardiner 15 low-income homes · 1 bd: 3 · 2 bd: 9 · 3 bd: 3 · In service since 2020 · For families

See all 37 buildings in Kennebec County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Gardiner

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There is 1 HUD-approved agency with an office in Kennebec County; none says it serves in Spanish.

A man smiles on a bench outside his apartment building.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Gardiner

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Gardiner or Kennebec County. The ones below are statewide in Maine: they work in Gardiner the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Maine

  • First Home Loan Program — Advantage

    Statewide in Maine

    With the Maine state agency's First Home mortgage, the buyer gets $5,000 for the down payment and closing costs (up to $14,000 for 2- to 4-unit homes), with no second mortgage. Offered by MaineHousing.

    Grant

    See the program Official page

  • First Generation Program

    Statewide in Maine

    Maine state agency mortgage with a rate 1% lower than its First Home mortgage and a $10,000 grant for the down payment and closing costs, with no second mortgage; for people who have never owned a home and never lived in a home their parents or guardians owned, or who were in foster care. Offered by MaineHousing.

    Grant

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Gardiner

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Gardiner, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Coastal Enterprises, Incorporated

    30 Federal Street, Brunswick · 21 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 3 more
    (207) 517-9877

  • Kennebec Valley Community Action Program

    101 Water St, Waterville · 25 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 4 more
    (207) 859-1500

  • Community Concepts, Inc. Also DBA Homequestmaine

    17 Market Sq, South Paris · 36 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in American Sign Language (ASL) and French.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 6 more
    (207) 333-6419

Every agency in Kennebec County All counseling agencies in Maine

Help in Spanish near Gardiner

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Gardiner

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Kennebec County is named for Gardiner or Kennebec County.

3 other authorities have an office in Kennebec County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Kennebec County

These cities are also in Kennebec County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Kennebec County Housing in Maine

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Gardiner, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Kennebec County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Gardiner.

All guides
A father and mother walk their son by the hand down the sidewalk.

Questions

Housing questions about Gardiner

Short answers with the numbers for Gardiner and all of Kennebec County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Gardiner?

The typical home value in Gardiner is $221,600, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Kennebec County it is $238,200.

How much does it cost to rent in Gardiner?

Typical rent in Gardiner is $1,113 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Kennebec County is $1,374.

What is the FHA loan limit in Gardiner?

Gardiner uses the FHA limit for all of Kennebec County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Gardiner?

The typical homeowner in Gardiner pays $2,742 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.24% of the home’s value; in Kennebec County, the rate is 1.09%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Gardiner?

There is 1 HUD-approved counseling agency with an office in Kennebec County. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).