Compare towns
Augusta vs Belgrade vs Mount Vernon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Augusta has the most renters (46.2% rent).
Belgrade has the highest household income ($88k).
Mount Vernon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.9%).
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 | Augusta | Belgrade | Mount Vernon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 19,077Highest |
3,351 |
1,716Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+1.9% ME: +2.6% |
+4.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42.5±2.4Lowest 5% below ME |
47.3±14.6Highest 6% above ME |
47.1±6.2 5% above ME |
| Belgrade and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.9%±2.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.6%±6.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.7%±5.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Belgrade and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.5%±2.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±6.4 ME: 22.4% |
26.5%±1.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Vernon and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 28.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
42.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
5.7%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.6%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Belgrade and Augusta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $47,979±$3kLowest 36% below ME |
$88,338±$13kHighest 18% above ME |
$74,395±$6k about the ME average |
| Belgrade and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $201,000±$18kLowest 32% below ME |
$312,200±$44kHighest 5% above ME |
$264,200±$23k 11% below ME |
| Belgrade and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $919±$79Highest 19% below ME |
$857±$108Lowest 25% below ME |
$893±$168 22% below ME |
| Augusta and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,465Lowest 19% below ME |
$2,859Highest 6% below ME |
$2,832 7% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.2%±8.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
17.2%±35.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±36.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Augusta and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 18.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 53.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 24% below ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
| Work from home | 15.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.4%±8.6 ME: 15.9% |
28.3%±11.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Vernon and Belgrade 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 | #119 of 133 in ME | #71 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Augusta Public Schools · Maine Arts Academy | RSU 18 | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | Cony | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 17.9 |
— | — |
| 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.