What stands out worked out from the figures below

Augusta has the most affordable homes ($201k median).

Dover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Augusta	Dover
People
Population	19,077Lowest	33,364Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	42.5±2.4Highest 9% above U.S.	36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S.
Kids under 18	18.9%±2.6Highest U.S.: 22%	16.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Augusta and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	21.5%±2.6Highest U.S.: 17.2%	16.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	28.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	52%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.6%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$47,979±$3kLowest 41% below U.S.	$94,829±$7kHighest 17% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$201,000±$18kLowest 40% below U.S.	$436,700±$20kHighest 31% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$919±$79Lowest 35% below U.S.	$1,607±$100Highest 14% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,465Lowest 21% below U.S.	$8,249Highest 164% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	49.2%±8.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	48.6%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Augusta and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	18.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	8.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	53.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S.	1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	19 minLowest 29% below U.S.	23 minHighest 14% below U.S.
Work from home	15.1%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	18.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Dover and Augusta 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	#64 of 120 in NH
School district	Augusta Public Schools · Maine Arts Academy	Dover School District
High school in town	Cony	Dover Senior High School
Students per teacherat that high school	17.9Highest	12.7Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.