Maine for Veterans
Built for Those Who Served
Maine exempts military retirement pay from state income tax. Togus VA — the oldest in the country — sits outside Augusta. And the land, the quiet, and the culture of self-reliance fit a particular post-service life that few other states can match.
0%
State tax on military retirement pay
$6K
Veteran property tax exemption
1866
Togus VA founded — oldest in the US
Top 5
Per-capita veteran population, nationwide
Financial Benefits for Maine Veterans
Maine has made deliberate policy choices to retain and attract veterans. Here is how the benefits stack.
Military Retirement Pay
DeductibleMaine allows a deduction on military retirement pay for state income tax purposes — reducing or eliminating state income tax for many veteran retirees.
Veteran Property Tax Exemption
$6,000 off assessed valueAvailable to qualifying veterans on their primary residence statewide. Widows and widowers of eligible veterans carry the same exemption.
100% Disabled Veteran
Full exemption possibleVeterans with a service-connected disability rating of 100% may qualify for a complete property tax exemption on their primary Maine residence.
Hunting & Fishing Licenses
Free for qualifying vetsMaine issues free hunting and fishing licenses to residents who are 100% service-connected disabled veterans. Significant discounts for others.
Student Loan Tax Credit (SLRTC)
Up to $2,500/yrAny Maine resident paying down student loans can claim this credit — veterans included. No field-of-work requirement. Just live here and pay your loans.
State Employment Preference
Hiring pointsQualifying veterans receive preference points in Maine state government hiring, including state agency and civil service positions.
VA Healthcare in Maine
Togus is the oldest VA facility in the United States — open since 1866. Six satellite clinics extend that reach across a geographically spread state.
Anchor Facility
Samuel S. Tilton VA Medical Center, Togus
Established in 1866 as the Eastern Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers — and in continuous operation ever since. Togus is a full-service medical center with inpatient, surgical, mental health, and specialty care. For veterans settling in central, midcoast, or southern Maine, it is within a manageable drive. For veterans choosing Augusta specifically, it is 8 miles away.
The MISSION Act's community care provisions also allow veterans to use local providers when VA wait times or distances make direct VA care impractical — a significant benefit in a rural state.
1866
Oldest continuously operating VA in the United States
Portland Community Clinic
Portland
Outpatient primary care and mental health services serving southern Maine veterans. Closest VA access point for the Portland metro area.
Bangor Community Clinic
Bangor
Serves central and eastern Maine. Coordinates with Eastern Maine Medical Center for specialist referrals.
Caribou Community Clinic
Caribou (Aroostook County)
Critical access point for The County's veteran population. Telehealth supplements in-person visits for more remote communities.
Saco Community Clinic
Saco
Primary care outpatient clinic serving the southern Maine coast and York County veterans.
Rumford Community Clinic
Rumford
Serves western Maine including the Androscoggin River Valley and Oxford Hills region.
Accessing Care in Remote Areas
The MISSION Act of 2018 changed the calculus for rural veterans significantly. In much of Maine, veterans qualify automatically for non-VA community care — which means the distance question is less limiting than it looks on a map.
MISSION Act — Community Care
See a Local Provider at VA Expense
Veterans qualify for community care — seeing a non-VA doctor billed to the VA — if the nearest VA facility is more than 30 minutes away for primary care, or 60 minutes for specialty care. Wait time triggers apply too: more than 20 days for primary care or 28 days for specialty care also qualifies.
In rural Maine, a large share of veterans qualify automatically on the distance standard. That means a veteran in Aroostook County or Washington County can see a local doctor, get a specialist referral, or access urgent care near home — and the VA covers it through the Community Care Network, managed in the Northeast by TriWest Healthcare Alliance.
VA Telehealth
Appointments From Home
The VA runs one of the largest telehealth programs in the country. VA Video Connect allows veterans to conduct appointments from any device with a camera — no travel required. Mental health services are particularly well-covered via telehealth, which matters in a state where stigma is lower and wait times for in-person behavioral health can stretch.
Telehealth has been adopted at a higher rate in Maine's VA system than in most states — partly by necessity, partly because the veteran population here is older and more rural. For a routine primary care check-in or a medication review, most veterans never need to leave the house.
Beneficiary Travel
Mileage Reimbursement for VA Appointments
When veterans do have to travel to a VA facility, the Beneficiary Travel program reimburses mileage at the federal rate. For veterans in northern or western Maine driving 60–90 minutes to a clinic, this adds up meaningfully over the course of a year.
The DAV (Disabled American Veterans) also operates a national volunteer transportation network — free rides to VA appointments, coordinated through local DAV chapters. Maine has active DAV chapters in Augusta, Bangor, Portland, and several rural communities.
Calais Community Clinic
The Easternmost VA Access Point
The VA clinic in Calais serves Washington County — the most remote and least-served corner of Maine's veteran population. It is worth knowing about specifically because Downeast and Washington County veterans are often unaware it exists, defaulting to the assumption that Togus or Bangor is their only option.
Combined with the MISSION Act community care provisions and telehealth, veterans settling in Eastport, Lubec, Machias, or the St. Croix Valley have more access than the geography suggests. The VA's Office of Rural Health has specifically prioritized this corridor.
The honest picture: The VA system in rural Maine is not seamless. Wait times for some specialties — audiology, orthopedics, mental health — can run long, and the community care referral process involves paperwork. The MISSION Act helps, but navigating it requires knowing your rights and asking for community care explicitly when you qualify. Veterans Service Organizations — the DAV, VFW, and American Legion posts throughout Maine — provide free benefits counseling and can help veterans access what they are owed.
Buying a Home in Maine as a Veteran
Maine's low prices combined with the VA loan benefit produce some of the most favorable homebuying conditions available anywhere in the country.
For Those Who Served
VA Home Loan
No down payment, no PMI, competitive rates. No income limit. Works statewide — from Portland condos to Aroostook farmland. Maine's low prices combined with the VA loan benefit is one of the strongest home-buying positions available anywhere in the country.
See all financing options on our Real Estate page →Zero Down in Rural Areas
USDA Rural Development
Most of Maine qualifies as USDA rural territory. Veterans who also meet USDA income limits can combine USDA's zero-down loan with their rural homebuying plans — useful if the VA benefit has been used or the property type is a better fit.
USDA eligibility for Maine properties →On stacking programs: In some cases, veteran buyers can layer MaineHousing first-home assistance on top of federal loan guarantees, further reducing upfront costs. A Maine-based lender familiar with veteran programs is worth finding before your property search begins — not after. The realtors we connect you with below can refer you to lenders who know these programs well.
Towns Worth Considering
Chosen for VA access, affordability, outdoor culture, and the kind of community infrastructure that matters over the long term.
State Capital
Augusta
Togus VA is 8 miles away. State government jobs with veteran preference points. Affordable housing, walkable downtown, Kennebec River access.
Northern Hub
Bangor
VA community clinic, Eastern Maine Medical Center, strong VFW and American Legion presence, direct flights, Acadia within day-trip distance.
Midcoast Town
Belfast
Active civic community, Penobscot Bay access, within range of Togus VA. One of Maine's most livable small cities.
Aroostook County
Houlton
Extreme affordability, Canadian border proximity, active outdoors culture. Near Caribou VA clinic. Farmland and acreage at prices unavailable anywhere else on the East Coast.
Maine Veterans' Homes
Six state-operated long-term care facilities for veterans requiring residential care — distributed across the state so family remains reachable.
Scarborough
Southern Maine
Largest facility; near Portland and the full range of southern Maine services.
Augusta
Central Maine
Adjacent to Togus VA Medical Center — integrated care access.
Bangor
Eastern Maine
Serves central and Downeast veterans with proximity to EMMC.
Caribou
Aroostook County
The County's long-term care option for northern Maine veterans.
South Paris
Western Maine
Oxford Hills area, serves western inland communities.
Machias
Downeast Maine
Serves the Washington County coast and inland Downeast communities.
Administered by the Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services. Eligibility and admission criteria vary by facility.
The Outdoors as a Long-Term Asset
Free
Hunting & Fishing Licenses
For Maine resident veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating. Discounts available for other qualifying veterans.
17M acres
Public & Open Land
Maine has more public and open land than any other New England state. Deer season, trout fishing, moose lottery, and snowmobile trail access are all part of ordinary life here.
2,000+
Miles of Groomed Snowmobile Trails
Maintained by a statewide network of snowmobile clubs. In Aroostook County alone, winter becomes a social season — not something to endure.
Ready to Look?
Connect with a Maine Realtor
Our network specializes in helping out-of-state buyers — including veterans using VA loan benefits — find the right town and the right property. We can introduce you to someone who knows both the land and the programs.
Talk to a Maine RealtorVoted Best Moving to Maine Guide — Updated for 2026
The Maine Relocation Guide
Includes a dedicated veterans section: VA clinic locations, benefit checklist, town-by-town notes on VA access and outdoor licensing, and a cost-of-living comparison for veteran retirees.
Get the Guide — Pay What You Want