Compare towns
Bangor vs Brewer vs Lewiston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bangor has the most renters (52.8% rent).
Brewer has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2%).
Lewiston has the most people working from home (12.3%).
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 | Bangor | Brewer | Lewiston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 31,938 |
9,652Lowest |
38,324Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3Highest 8% below ME |
40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
37.3±1.2Lowest 17% below ME |
| Bangor and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.6%±1.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Lewiston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±1.9 ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Brewer and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35% ME: 36.2% |
22.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.1%±1 ME: 5.8% |
| Bangor and Lewiston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7k 20% below ME |
$66,613±$9kHighest 11% below ME |
$55,393±$4kLowest 26% below ME |
| Brewer and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $219,600±$10kLowest 26% below ME |
$245,300±$21kHighest 17% below ME |
$235,100±$8k 21% below ME |
| Brewer and Lewiston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43 7% below ME |
$1,086±$54Highest 5% below ME |
$986±$44Lowest 13% below ME |
| Brewer and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076 about the ME average |
$3,374Highest 11% above ME |
$2,899Lowest 5% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.7%±5.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Lewiston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.9% ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
20%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
51.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1959Highest 18 yrs older than ME |
1957 20 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
17 min 31% below ME |
21 minHighest 15% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±2.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Lewiston and Bangor 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 | #37 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME | #132 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | Brewer Public Schools | Lewiston Public Schools · Acadia Academy |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | Brewer High School | Lewiston High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3Lowest |
14.0 |
14.7Highest |
| 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.