Compare towns
Appleton vs Brunswick vs Searsmont
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Appleton has the most affordable homes ($236k median).
Brunswick has the most expensive homes ($376k median).
Searsmont has the highest household income ($87k).
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 | Appleton | Brunswick | Searsmont |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,360Lowest |
22,336Highest |
1,646 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
44.5±9.8 about the ME average |
| Appleton and Searsmont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Brunswick and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
21%±1.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.1% ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
31.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
10%±6.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Brunswick and Searsmont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$74,952±$6k about the ME average |
$87,000±$20kHighest 16% above ME |
| Searsmont and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
$284,000±$31k 4% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$940±$311Lowest 17% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,588 18% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$2,788Lowest 8% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8 ME: 48.4% |
41.4%±41.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.7% ME: 10.7% |
6.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6% ME: 74.3% |
71.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 23% above ME |
23 minLowest 5% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±10.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Brunswick and Searsmont 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 | — | #30 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Appleton Public Schools | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | RSU 71 |
| High school in town | None in town | Brunswick High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.9 |
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| 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.