Compare towns
Augusta vs Manchester vs Waterville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Manchester has the highest household income ($92k).
Waterville has grown the fastest since 2010 (+0.7%).
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 | Manchester | Waterville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 19,077Highest |
2,424Lowest |
17,077 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.2% ME: +2.6% |
-4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42.5±2.4 5% below ME |
46.9±4.6Highest 5% above ME |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below 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%±2.6 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Manchester and Augusta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.5%±2.6 ME: 22.4% |
22.6%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5Lowest 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
47.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $47,979±$3kLowest 36% below ME |
$92,031±$16kHighest 23% above ME |
$53,580±$4k 28% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $201,000±$18k 32% below ME |
$299,600±$40kHighest about the ME average |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $919±$79Lowest 19% below ME |
$993±$116Highest 13% below ME |
$978±$72 14% below ME |
| Manchester and Waterville 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 |
$3,486Highest 15% above ME |
$2,755 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.2%±8.3 ME: 48.4% |
30.9%±18.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Waterville and Augusta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 18.2% ME: 10.7% |
4.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 53.8% ME: 74.3% |
85%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965 12 yrs older than ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 24% below ME |
20 minHighest 19% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 15.1%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
11.9%±5.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Waterville 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 | — | #105 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Augusta Public Schools · Maine Arts Academy | RSU 38 | Waterville Public Schools |
| High school in town | Cony | None in town | Waterville Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 17.9Highest |
— | 12.8Lowest |
| 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.