Compare towns
Augusta vs Mount Vernon vs Sidney
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).
Mount Vernon has the most people working from home (28.3%).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
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 | Mount Vernon | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 19,077Highest |
1,716Lowest |
4,790 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.9% ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42.5±2.4Lowest 5% below ME |
47.1±6.2Highest 5% above ME |
43±5.5 4% below ME |
| Mount Vernon and Sidney 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% |
20.7%±5.2 ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.5%±2.6 ME: 22.4% |
26.5%±1.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 28.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
42.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.6%±1 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Augusta and Mount Vernon 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 |
$74,395±$6k about the ME average |
$83,488±$10kHighest 12% above ME |
| Sidney 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 |
$264,200±$23k 11% below ME |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $919±$79 19% below ME |
$893±$168Lowest 22% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,465Lowest 19% below ME |
$2,832Highest 7% below ME |
$2,474 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.2%±8.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±36.9 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest 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% |
4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 53.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 24% below ME |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 15.1%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
28.3%±11.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Vernon 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 | — | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Augusta Public Schools · Maine Arts Academy | RSU 38 | RSU 18 |
| 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.