Income inequality and domestic abuse are often treated as completely separate issues—one a commonly issued social critique, the other a private concern about individual personal safety. In reality, they are closely connected. And here in Midcoast Maine, that connection is hard to ignore. 

Across the United States, income inequality shows up in many ways—differences in wages, job stability and access to opportunity among people with diverse backgrounds and social identities. A particularly persistent form of inequality is the gender wage gap. In Maine the gap is smaller than in some states, but it hasn’t disappeared. According to USAFacts, women working full-time in Maine earned about 87 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2024. Put another way, men earn roughly $8,000–$9,000 more per year than women for full time work based on information from the Maine Department of Labor. Those numbers may not seem dramatic at first glance, but inside a household, they can have a real impact on who holds financial power and who doesn’t.  

Income inequality isn’t only about gender. Structural inequalities tied to race, sexual orientation and other forms of marginalization shape who has access to stable employment, fair wages and economic opportunity. People of color and members of LGBTQ+ communities often face additional barriers in the workplace, from discrimination to fewer advancement opportunities. Those disparities compound the challenges of leaving an abusive partner, particularly when someone is already navigating isolation, bias or limited access to supportive services. While the gender wage gap is one key piece of this issue, it exists within a broader system of inequality that affects many people in different ways. 

In cultural terms, men are still seen as—and may feel entitled to be—the ones who control financial decision-making in households. Even in households where both partners work, men are often assumed to be the primary earners, and their careers tend to be prioritized when trade-offs arise. At the same time, women are still expected to take on the bulk of childcare and care giving. This limits their available hours and can interrupt career paths, nudging them into lower-paying or more flexible work. 

Many couples make these choices thoughtfully and together, but over time they can  reinforce a pattern in which one partner has more earning power, and the other less and less. When one partner abuses the other, this leaves the victim not only with fewer financial resources to leave, but also with a greater responsibility for supporting children once they do. When one partner consistently earns more, and is also seen as the one “in charge” of finances, it can influence everyday decisions: whose job takes priority, who manages the money, and who has the ability to leave if something goes wrong. In healthy relationships, such an imbalance may not be harmful. But in others, it can become a foundation for control. This is where the connection to domestic abuse becomes clear. 

According to a 2025 study, financial abuse occurs in 99% of all domestic violence cases and financial dependence is one of the strongest predictors of whether someone can safely leave an abuser. Knowing this, abusers exploit their partner’s inability to make ends meet on their own. They cut off access to money and prevent them from working, making it difficult to afford rent, food, gas and childcare, or support themselves between jobs. This means leaving is out of reach.  

In the counties served by New Hope Midcoast—Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo—these pressures are amplified by local economic conditions. Many families rely on seasonal or service-based work, where wages can be inconsistent. Affordable childcare is limited. And perhaps most importantly, housing has become increasingly difficult to secure. Anyone who has looked for a year-round rental in towns like Rockland, Damariscotta, Bath or Belfast knows how competitive and expensive it can be. Now imagine trying to leave an abusive partner under those conditions, with limited income and savings, and no prospects. 

Even for those with full-time work, this is an equation that often can’t be reconciled. Rent alone consumes an unreasonable portion of people’s incomes. Add in childcare, transportation and basic living expenses, and the margin for independence disappears quickly. In that context, income inequality isn’t abstract—it directly affects survivors’ everyday choices and safety. 

There’s another side to this as well: domestic abuse can intensify income inequality. Survivors often miss work, lose jobs or have their employment disrupted or sabotaged, making employers reluctant to hire or promote them. Over time, this reduces earnings, limits career advancement and makes financial recovery all but impossible. The result is a feedback loop in which income inequality and abuse reinforce one another. 

So what does this mean for communities like ours? It means that addressing domestic abuse isn’t just about crisis response (although that is a necessary part of the puzzle). It’s also about on-the-ground practical economic reality. Pay equity matters. Access to affordable childcare matters. Stable, year-round employment matters. In the Midcoast, access to housing may matter most of all. These are not separate issues. They are part of the same overarching system that determines who has real choices. 

When we talk about income inequality, it’s easy to think in abstract economic terms, but for survivors of domestic abuse it’s much more concrete—it’s their life and safety. When people can support themselves independently, they are better positioned to have self-determination, to insist on safe and equal treatment, and to escape the influence of abusive people. In the end, that’s not just an economic issue. It’s a community issue we can’t afford to overlook. 

New Hope Midcoast is one of Maine’s Regional Domestic Violence Resource Centers and a member of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence. The nonprofit organization supports people impacted by domestic abuse, dating violence and stalking through housing and legal advocacy, education and prevention programs, and a 24/7 helpline. The organization serves Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo counties. New Hope continues to meet clients where they are and recognizes that the impact of domestic abuse is widespread. We are survivor-led and believe that, together, we can address social concerns that continue right here in our communities.