Look, Maine is presumed naturally, USA-wide, to be a welfare and assistance/service environment. People of Maine are sick and tired of this handle they are tagged with. People in the areas mentioned in the clickback header will not relocate to Maine, simply because of the taxes and heating oil problems in-concern to the pricing, which will not recess any time soon, if at all. Get used to that. New in-migration does not stagnant Maine, It's stagnant and static already. There is even a low percentage of income to the state as a result of lowered migration to Maine, however, if migration is to be calculated. There are no demographics I can see posted that shows trends, economical figures, percentages, or anything in arithmetic to base an intelligent answer on here. But if you ask that opinion of me, I would say, not really...people do not to risk the losses or potential of losses to their income, retirements, savings, stocks or other plans they hold so dearly onto now. Everyone is indecisive as to what the next four years after Bush will bring...and the years beyond. Everything is totally in a mess right now...nobldy is moving anywhere, unless they get transferred into Maine, and the move is funded. The cost/benefits are too high to risk on both ends.

People move to Maine to retire despite the economic disadvantages in terms of taxes. They like it here, and want to buy into the life style. We will continue to see people building retirement homes, especially along the coast and on the lakes. If you think this isn't a good thing (and it can certainly threaten the life quality of an area when it happens too fast) see how your community will fare if it stops all together. In Hancock county the in-migration of retirees has fueled a sustained building boom for the last 10+ years that has brought a new level of prosperity to many people working in the building trades along the coast.

I think this migration will slow with a recession, but rebuild reasonably quickly with the economy because it is largely driven by the imminent retirement of a large group of "baby boomers".

There are always lifestyle conflicts when people with a different lifestyle and more disposable income move into rural areas, but Maine has been absorbing these people comfortably for 150+ years and they have brought outside capital, know-how, and new ideas that have made the State a better place.

But, "bobknight", what happens if those people you were speaking about in your posting, decide to look elsewhere, other than the Pine Tree State, to retire to? There are lakes, ponds, streams and all kinds of conifers and other beautiful trees all over the US, and there are states that have all this, and the ocean as well. A lot of states share lower tax bases, and offer incentives for relocating into that particular state. It depends on the person who wants to relocate...their decisions are based not only just "where the location" will be. They think of other factors as well.