Have you ever wondered which U.S. states resemble countries more closely than others? The Country – US State Comparisons are designed to quantify just that — measuring how similar each U.S. state is to different countries around the world relative to the United States. This index provides a data-driven way to make those comparisons. It equally weights five major factors: demographics, culture, politics, technology, and geography. Over 1,000 different data points are used to generate the results.
Top 10 Countries More Similar to Maine than the US
The countries that resemble Maine much more than the United States are all located in Europe. Four of the top five border the Baltic Sea. They include some of the least densely populated and more northern countries in Europe.
- Lithuania, like Maine, has a continental climate with cold winters and mild summers. Both of their populations are aging and have predominately European ancestry. They also have a similar percentage of married people. They are less urbanized than the U.S., with only a few mid-sized cities.
- Latvia is located to the north of Lithuania. It features many beautiful forests, rivers, and lakes, much like Maine. Both have a mix of Catholics and Protestants, although many of their people are not especially religious. They also have similar rates of homicide and suicide.
- Estonia is yet another Baltic country on this list. Maine and Estonia have a lot of coastline. They also tend to drink a lot of alcohol, but also have low rates of homicide. In addition, Estonia and Maine do not allow the death penalty, but allow same sex marriage, unlike many rural places.
- Moldova is another former member of the Soviet Union on this list. Moldova and Maine are underdeveloped compared to the average European nation. It has low immigration and low diversity, paralleling Maine’s demographic profile. They also have a similar climate.
- Finland and Maine are sparsely populated and share a cold northern climate, with vast forests and lakes. Politically, both lean towards progressive overall. They allow same sex marriage and do not have capital punishment. In addition, marijuana is decriminalized and their prisoners are allowed to vote.
- Slovenia, 7. Belgium, 8. Bosnia & Herzegovina, 9. Sweden, 10. Slovakia
Top 10 Countries Less Similar to Maine than the US
Interestingly enough, the four of the five countries with significantly fewer similarities to Maine than the United States overall are predominately Muslim. These countries tend to be much more densely populated than Maine as well.
- United Arab Emirates is in many ways the opposite of Maine. It has a hot desert climate and barren landscape. In addition, most of the people that live in UAE are immigrant workers. This has made UAE’s population much younger than Maine’s.
- Qatar is another extremely wealthy and densely populated country in the Middle East. Furthermore, Qatar’s laws are much more conservative than Maine’s. It does not allow same sex marriage or the possession of marijuana.
- China is much more geographically diverse than Maine. It has deserts, mountains, tropics, and Arctic-like areas. High-speed rail, megacities, vast manufacturing hubs contrast with Maine’s small-scale infrastructure.
- Malaysia is located in Southeast Asia. While both are densely forested, Malaysia has a much hotter climate. The country also has a more diverse population than Maine with a mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indian populations.
- Bahrain is a small island nation located in the Persian Gulf. Urban development is focused on luxury, finance, and oil wealth, in stark contrast to Maine’s blue-collar economy centered on forestry, tourism, and local trade.
- Oman, 7. Turkey, 8. Singapore, 9. Thailand, 10. Indonesia
Full Ranking of Countries and Territories More Similar to Maine than the US
All data accurate as of 2025.