Compare towns
Auburn vs New Gloucester vs Poland
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).
New Gloucester has the highest household income ($109k).
Poland has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.9%).
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 | New Gloucester | Poland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 24,602Highest |
5,766Lowest |
5,954 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.4% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.4±2.7 8% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
44.2±9.4Highest about the ME average |
| Poland 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% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±5.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Auburn 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% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
17.8%±4.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Auburn and Poland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.8% ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
23.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Auburn and Poland 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 |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
$85,557±$23k 14% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Poland 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 |
$357,100±$29kHighest 20% above ME |
$283,600±$44k 4% below ME |
| New Gloucester and Poland 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 |
$1,150±$249 about the ME average |
$1,198±$128Highest 5% above ME |
| Poland and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,687Highest 21% above ME |
$3,417 13% above ME |
$2,774Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.4%±7.4 ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
61.6%±30.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Poland and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.8% ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
16.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 12% below ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.5%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±10.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Poland and New Gloucester 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 | #65 of 133 in ME | #81 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Auburn Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | RSU 16 |
| High school in town | Edward Little High School | None in town | Poland Regional H S |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.1Highest |
— | 12.2Lowest |
| 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.