Compare towns
Augusta vs Sidney vs Strong
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).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
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 | Sidney | Strong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 19,077Highest |
4,790 |
1,249Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.2% ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42.5±2.4Lowest 5% below ME |
43±5.5 4% below ME |
47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
| Strong 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% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.5%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Strong 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% |
18.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Strong 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% |
33.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Augusta and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $47,979±$3k 36% below ME |
$83,488±$10kHighest 12% above ME |
$47,557±$10kLowest 36% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $201,000±$18k 32% below ME |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
$183,900±$29kLowest 38% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $919±$79Lowest 19% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
$920±$276 19% below ME |
| Sidney and Strong 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 |
$2,474Highest 19% below ME |
$1,950Lowest 36% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.2%±8.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4 ME: 48.4% |
| Augusta and Strong 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% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 53.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1971 6 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 24% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 15.1%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Strong 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 18 | RSU 58/MSAD 58 |
| High school in town | Cony | None in town | 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.