Compare towns
Augusta vs Chesterville vs Manchester
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).
Chesterville has the most kids (31.3% under 18).
Manchester has the highest household income ($92k).
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 | Chesterville | Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 19,077Highest |
1,397Lowest |
2,424 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.8% ME: +2.6% |
-4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42.5±2.4 5% below ME |
37.8±4Lowest 16% below ME |
46.9±4.6Highest 5% above ME |
| Manchester and Augusta 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% |
31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 21.5%±2.6 ME: 22.4% |
15%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.6%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Manchester and Augusta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 28.9% ME: 36.2% |
20.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
47.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Augusta and Manchester 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 |
$61,635±$10k 18% below ME |
$92,031±$16kHighest 23% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $201,000±$18kLowest 32% below ME |
$214,000±$40k 28% below ME |
$299,600±$40kHighest about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $919±$79Lowest 19% below ME |
$1,088±$73Highest 4% below ME |
$993±$116 13% below ME |
| Chesterville and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,465 19% below ME |
$2,194Lowest 28% below ME |
$3,486Highest 15% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.2%±8.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
30.9%±18.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Augusta and Manchester 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% |
12% ME: 10.7% |
4.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 53.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
86.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1978Highest 1 yr newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 24% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
20 min 19% below ME |
| Work from home | 15.1%±3.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.9%±5.7 ME: 15.9% |
| Augusta and Manchester 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 | — | — |
| School district | Augusta Public Schools · Maine Arts Academy | — | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | Cony | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 17.9 |
— | — |
| 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.