Compare towns
Augusta vs New Gloucester vs Poland
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).
New Gloucester has the highest household income ($109k).
Poland has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.9%).
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 | New Gloucester | Poland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 19,077Highest |
5,766Lowest |
5,954 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.4% ME: +2.6% |
+9.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42.5±2.4 5% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
44.2±9.4Highest about the ME average |
| Poland 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% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Poland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.5%±2.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
17.8%±4.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Augusta and Poland 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% |
30.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
23.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Poland 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 |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
$85,557±$23k 14% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Poland 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 |
$357,100±$29kHighest 20% above ME |
$283,600±$44k 4% below ME |
| New Gloucester and Poland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $919±$79Lowest 19% below ME |
$1,150±$249 about the ME average |
$1,198±$128Highest 5% above ME |
| Poland and New Gloucester 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 |
$3,417Highest 13% above ME |
$2,774 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.2%±8.3 ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
61.6%±30.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Poland and Augusta 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% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
16.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 53.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 24% below ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 15.1%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±10.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Poland 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 | #65 of 133 in ME | #81 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Augusta Public Schools · Maine Arts Academy | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | RSU 16 |
| High school in town | Cony | None in town | Poland Regional H S |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 17.9Highest |
— | 12.2Lowest |
| 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.