Seven miles of sand. One ZIP code. The longest sand beach in New England. This is the local buyer's guide. Real numbers, real neighborhoods, and every fee on every street. Written by people who live here.
This site was built by Deja Lett. Deja sells real estate in Maine and Florida. She lives here. She built this guide because nobody else had. This is the most comprehensive guide to Old Orchard Beach available.
Maine to Florida moves are our specialty. See mainefloridacollective.com.
The longest sand beach in New England. Nine named stretches across three towns: Pine Point, Bayview, Grand Beach, Surfside, Old Orchard Beach, Ocean Park, Kinney Shores, Ferry Beach, and Camp Ellis. At low tide you can walk it end to end.
The only beachfront amusement park in New England. Open since 1902. Five acres on the sand. 28 rides. A 24,000 square foot arcade with more than 200 games. The Pier itself reaches 500 feet into the Atlantic.
Portland sits 20 miles north. The Portland Jetport is 16 miles away. The Amtrak Downeaster stops right in town from May 18 through mid October, on First Street, a ten minute walk to the beach. Boston is about 100 miles south, around 2.5 hours by train into North Station.
The OOB effective rate is 1.22 percent. The state median is 1.57 percent. The median yearly bill runs about $3,911. Maine also gives primary residents a $25,000 Homestead Exemption, which saves $275 to $430 a year.
OOB hosts more French speaking summer visitors than any town in the lower 48. Quebec visitors have been coming since the Grand Trunk Railway opened a direct line from Montreal in the 1880s. St. Margaret's still holds French sermons in the summer. Signs around town are in both languages.
Pick the neighborhood before you pick the floor plan. The right house in the wrong neighborhood will not feel right after closing.
The heart of town. Walk to the Pier, Palace Playland, year round restaurants, the Amtrak station, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Ballpark. The busiest summer scene in Maine and the strongest short term rental income. You will find cottages, year round homes, oceanfront condos, and beachfront associations all on the same block.
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Founded on January 24, 1881 as a Free Will Baptist summer camp by Bates College President Oren Cheney. Home to The Temple, the only octagonal community church in Maine, built that same year. Many cottages here have passed down through generations. The neighborhood has its own library, post office, and association. Inventory rarely opens up.
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Sits between downtown OOB and Grand Beach. The waves from Saco Bay run a little bigger here, so it is the local pocket for surfing and windsurfing. A mix of single family homes and condos. A quieter pace, but still walking distance to the Pier when you want it.
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Grand Beach is at the northeast end of the seven-mile beach along East Grand Avenue (Route 9), between Surfside Beach and Pine Point Beach, at the Old Orchard Beach / Scarborough town line. Part of the Grand Beach area lies in Scarborough. Kinney Shores and Ferry Beach are separate areas to the southwest.
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The Brunswick. The Forest. The Overlook (under construction). Casablanca. Lock the door and leave. Lower maintenance. Strong rental potential. Financing paths vary by association, so confirm current status with a lender. A favorite of snowbirds.
Read more →OOB has free standing cottages, year round single family homes, and condo associations sitting on the same blocks. The only fair way to compare them is the total monthly cost to own.
The condo HOA bundles lawn, trash, water/sewer, exterior maintenance, and often insurance and cable, so the gap is smaller than the sticker shock suggests.
| Cost Category | OOB Single Family Year Round | OOB Condo with HOA |
|---|---|---|
| HOA fee | $0 | $300 to $700/mo |
| Lawn / exterior maintenance | $100 to $200/mo | Included |
| Trash / water / sewer | $80 to $150/mo | Often included |
| Cable / internet | $100 to $200/mo | Sometimes included |
| Homeowners insurance (coastal) | $1,800 to $3,200/yr | Often included in HOA |
| Flood insurance (Zone AE/VE) | $700 to $2,500/yr | Often included |
| Total monthly (P&I excluded) | $700 to $1,200 | $500 to $900 |
Estimates as of May 2026. Your real numbers depend on the age of the roof, the FEMA flood zone, the association rules, and whether the home is your primary residence. Get insurance quotes and the full association budget before you lift contingencies. The Maine state lodging tax of 9 percent applies to short term rentals.
About 30 percent of OOB properties carry real flood risk over the next 30 years, according to First Street Foundation. FEMA adopted new flood maps on July 17, 2024 after a multi year town appeal that pulled the regulated zone back. Four zones matter: Zone X is low risk with no insurance required, Zones A and AE are high risk and require insurance, and Zone VE is high risk with coastal wave velocity. The town Floodplain Coordinator is Rick Haskell at rhaskell@oobmaine.com or (207) 937 5615. We pull a flood report on every property before you write an offer.
Coastal insurance in Maine is harder than it was ten years ago. Nor'easters, storm surge, and severe wind have pushed premiums up. About 86 percent of OOB properties carry major wind risk over the next 30 years. Roof age is the single biggest factor. Older cottages may need a new roof before any carrier will write a policy. Always get quotes before you lift your contingencies.
Direct beach access. A walk to the Pier. Sunrise on the Atlantic. 170 years of destination history. The trade off is real, but it can be managed.
Inventory is healthy. Days on market have stretched out. Well priced, updated homes still go fast.
| Property type | Price range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single family home | $350K to $1.2M+ | Cottages, year round, waterfront |
| Townhouse | $299K to $750K | Median $529K Jan 2026 |
| Condominium | Low $200Ks to mid $700s | Concentrated downtown / beachfront |
| New construction | Mid $400s+ | The Overlook, infill |
Find out what your property could sell for, and how our S.O.L.D. Process takes you from first conversation to closing day.
Maine Real Estate Broker. ME BR916256.
Born and raised on Munjoy Hill in Portland. In real estate since 1997, when she started as an assistant to a top-producing Realtor in Key West. Licensed in Maine since March 2003 and now a Maine Broker. Deja built and runs Top Homes Group at Keller Williams Realty in Saco, a trusted local team serving Old Orchard Beach and southern Maine. Multimillion-dollar producer and a 2026 KW New England Region Top 100 agent. Featured on an Emmy-nominated TV show, The American Dream: Selling Maine. She works Saco, Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach, and the Maine to Florida move in Tampa Bay.
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