Surrounded by lakes and forests, mountains and nearby ocean coastline, Bangor, ME, is home to some of New England’s most beautiful natural attractions. During winter, an average of 60 inches of snowfall only adds to the splendor.Another accumulation in Bangor is the more than 4,200 jobs added to the city's medical and surgical hospitals between 2005 and 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Considered the "lumber capital of the world" during the late 1800s, Bangor gained an affluence that is still visible today. Large mansions built by lumber barons can be seen near the center of town. With help from a statewide tourism and business partnership, the city of Bangor has achieved funding for a new $65 million waterfront conference and event center along the Penobscot River. The city's shopping areas draw in residents from a 100-mile region, and Bangor is home to the 254-acre Mount Hope Cemetery, the nation's second-oldest garden cemetery.
While there are more than enough reasons to venture outdoors when temperatures cool – for instance, ice skating and sledding at Bangor Gardens Park or the more than 15 other public parks in the city – things really heat up in Bangor’s many art galleries and museums, such as the University of Maine Museum of Art, The Collins Center for the Arts or the Maine Discovery Museum for kids.
Population: 31,986
Average January low: 8 degrees
Average annual snowfall: 67 inches
Median home price: $134,786
Unemployment rate: 6.4 percent