Compare towns
Appleton vs Hermon vs Brewer
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 people working from home (11.1%).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
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 | Hermon | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,360Lowest |
6,727 |
9,652Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Appleton and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Brewer 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% |
20.4%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Hermon 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 |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
$66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
| Hermon and Brewer 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 |
$333,600±$32kHighest 12% above ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$1,086±$54Lowest 5% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.7% ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2% ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 23% above ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Appleton and Hermon 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 | — | #54 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Appleton Public Schools | Hermon Public Schools | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Hermon High School | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.6Highest |
14.0Lowest |
| 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.