<p>This paper analyzes the three dimensions of the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index to evaluate the state of Maine’s development progress in comparison with the rest of the United States. Measures of income, health, and education from 1940–2024 are included in an index number analysis of Maine’s human development progress, evaluating overall performance and each component both quantitatively and qualitatively. We find that income is the principal dimension where Maine lags behind national averages. Accordingly, four macroeconomic variables were examined over 1997–2024 to better assess Maine’s economic performance: per capita state domestic product, per capita personal income, the consumer price index, and unemployment. These metrics were used for more focused quantitative and qualitative index number analysis. The state’s progress toward United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8 relating to employment security and sustainable economic growth is evaluated and discussed to formulate suggestions for effective policy. To address the economic dimension, the state should reform its property and corporate income tax structures to encourage investment and seek to scale its educational resources through cooperative agreements with institutions in neighboring states and provinces.</p>