Compare towns
Auburn vs Berwick vs Sidney
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Auburn has the most renters (40.9% rent).
Berwick has the most people working from home (20.2%).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
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 | Auburn | Berwick | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 24,602Highest |
8,175 |
4,790Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.7% ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.4±2.7 8% below ME |
40.7±2.9Lowest 9% below ME |
43±5.5Highest 4% below ME |
| Sidney and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.4%±2.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.7%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.8%±2Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Auburn and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
35%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Auburn and Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,647±$5kLowest 11% below ME |
$94,771±$24kHighest 27% above ME |
$83,488±$10k 12% above ME |
| Berwick and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $282,000±$12kLowest 5% below ME |
$369,100±$19kHighest 24% above ME |
$336,200±$34k 13% above ME |
| Berwick and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,041±$74Lowest 9% below ME |
$1,452±$430Highest 27% above ME |
$1,340±$304 18% above ME |
| Berwick and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,687 21% above ME |
$4,436Highest 46% above ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.4%±7.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.6%±46 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Auburn and Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.4% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 12% below ME |
30 minHighest 20% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 11.5%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.2%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Berwick and Sidney 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 | #110 of 133 in ME | #101 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Auburn Public Schools | RSU 60/MSAD 60 | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | Edward Little High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.1 |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.