Compare towns
Alna vs Readfield vs Newcastle
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Alna has the most kids (32.9% under 18).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
Newcastle has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.5%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Alna | Readfield | Newcastle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 818Lowest |
2,651Highest |
1,913 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.1% ME: +2.6% |
0%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.7±10.5Lowest 9% below ME |
48.1±7.6 7% above ME |
49.4±7Highest 10% above ME |
| Newcastle and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 32.9%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
17.8%±3.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±5.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±1.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Newcastle and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
45.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.8%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Newcastle and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $93,125±$16kHighest 25% above ME |
$86,504±$8kLowest 16% above ME |
$89,868±$33k 20% above ME |
| Alna and Newcastle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $367,400±$55k 24% above ME |
$326,400±$20kLowest 10% above ME |
$398,000±$41kHighest 34% above ME |
| Newcastle and Alna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,088±$176Lowest 4% below ME |
$1,125±$844 about the ME average |
$1,363±$81Highest 20% above ME |
| Newcastle and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,667 21% above ME |
$3,392Lowest 12% above ME |
$4,256Highest 40% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.9%±70.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
5.8%±16.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Alna and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.7% ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
80.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 41% above ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
17 minLowest 30% below ME |
| Work from home | 16.4%±5.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
20.2%±4.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Newcastle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #20 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 38 | — |
| High school in town | — | Maranacook Community High Sch | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.5 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.