The means test in Maine: median income
The official median income for Maine, a quick first-step check and what happens if your income is above it.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.
Short answer
Official medians for Maine from the U.S. Trustee Program. Below the median for your household size means you pass the first step.
- 1 person
- $75,892
- 2 people
- $90,445
- 3 people
- $106,822
- 4 people
- $131,577
- Each extra person
- +$11,100
- Medians apply to cases filed on or after
- April 1, 2026
Are you below the Maine median?
Official Form 122A-1 compares your household's yearly income with the median income in Maine. Here are the official medians:
- 1 person$75,892
- 2 people$90,445
- 3 people$106,822
- 4 people$131,577
- Each extra person+$11,100
Applies to cases filed on or after April 1, 2026. 1 = one earner; 2, 3, 4 = people in the household; add = amount added for each person over 4
The bankruptcy courts in Maine
You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. All of Maine is one district; your county decides whether your case goes to the Portland or Bangor office (https://www.meb.uscourts.gov/case-assignment).
Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408
Divisions: Portland (Androscoggin, Cumberland, Oxford, Sagadahoc, York counties); Bangor (Aroostook, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, Washington counties)
Clerk's phone: (207) 780-3482 (Portland); (207) 945-0348 (Bangor)
Maine exemptions in brief
In Maine you use state exemptions only (exemptions are the property the law lets you keep).
Home (homestead): $94,300 in your home (or co-op, or a burial plot).
Car or other vehicle: $11,800 in one motor vehicle.
Wildcard (any property): $600 in any property, plus up to $12,400 of your unused homestead exemption for household goods, tools of the trade and personal injury payments.
In nearby states
- Vermont: 1 person $72,461 · 2 people $96,963 · 3 people $114,075 · 4 people $137,583
- Massachusetts: 1 person $88,202 · 2 people $112,708 · 3 people $139,411 · 4 people $178,524
- Rhode Island: 1 person $77,653 · 2 people $98,736 · 3 people $119,419 · 4 people $137,479
- Connecticut: 1 person $84,302 · 2 people $106,224 · 3 people $134,470 · 4 people $159,934
- New York: 1 person $73,272 · 2 people $92,902 · 3 people $115,579 · 4 people $139,040
- New Jersey: 1 person $87,173 · 2 people $106,876 · 3 people $137,136 · 4 people $168,127
What to do now in Maine
Gather your income
Add every source of household income for the last 6 months.
Fill in the first form
The official first step is Official Form 122A-1.
When income is higher
Next comes the expense calculation on Official Form 122A-2.
File in your court
You file the forms in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maine.
Get help
Free help: Pine Tree Legal Assistance (HelpMeLaw.org) and Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project.
Free help in Maine
Questions about the means test in Maine
What is the homestead exemption in Maine?
$94,300 in your home (or co-op, or a burial plot). $188,550 if minor dependents live with you, or if you or a dependent are 60 or older or disabled and unable to work.
Which bankruptcy court do I use in Maine?
You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. All of Maine is one district; your county decides whether your case goes to the Portland or Bangor office (https://www.meb.uscourts.gov/case-assignment).
What is the median income for the means test in Maine?
For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $75,892; 2 people: $90,445; 3 people: $106,822; 4 people: $131,577; Each extra person: +$11,100.
Who helps with bankruptcy for free in Maine?
Pine Tree Legal Assistance (HelpMeLaw.org), Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project and Legal Services for Maine Elders (age 60+).