Compare towns
Arundel vs Meredith vs Bowdoin
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Arundel has the shortest commute (23 min average).
Meredith has the most people working from home (23.7%).
Bowdoin has the most affordable homes ($293k median).
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 | Arundel | Meredith | Bowdoin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,418 |
6,758Highest |
3,188Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.9±6.4Lowest 5% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
44.3±10 14% above U.S. |
| Meredith and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.4%±5.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.1%±6.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Arundel and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.9%±3.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
30.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.5%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Arundel and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $101,597±$17kHighest 26% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19kLowest 8% above U.S. |
$91,239±$13k 13% above U.S. |
| Arundel and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $421,300±$62k 27% above U.S. |
$480,100±$48kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$292,800±$71kLowest 12% below U.S. |
| Meredith and Arundel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,607±$495Highest 14% above U.S. |
$1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
— |
| Arundel and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,763 21% above U.S. |
$5,006Highest 61% above U.S. |
$3,375Lowest 8% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.2%±22.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±42.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Meredith and Arundel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
11%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1992Highest 12 yrs newer than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1992Highest 12 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 14% below U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
32 minHighest 20% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 7%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.7%±7 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #7 of 133 in ME | #62 of 120 in NH | #28 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 21 | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | None in town | Inter-Lakes High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.1 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.