Compare towns
Bangor vs Cushing vs Orono
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 affordable homes ($220k median).
Cushing has the most homeowners (84.7%).
Orono has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.9%).
Orono is a college town. 56.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Cushing | Orono |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
1,460Lowest |
11,902 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-2.1% ME: +2.6% |
+7.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3 8% below ME |
48.8±7.7Highest 9% above ME |
21.8±0.3Lowest 51% below ME |
| Cushing and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.7%±1.7 ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
6.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Cushing and Bangor 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% |
20.5%±0.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.4%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Cushing 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
38.4% ME: 36.2% |
66.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
56.1%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
$83,500±$19kHighest 12% above ME |
$61,528±$5k 18% below ME |
| Cushing and Orono 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 |
$409,800±$44kHighest 38% above ME |
$272,600±$40k 8% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43Lowest 7% below ME |
$1,553±$376Highest 36% above ME |
$1,255±$112 10% above ME |
| Cushing and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076Lowest about the ME average |
$3,944 30% above ME |
$4,830Highest 59% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5 ME: 48.4% |
33.7%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.1%±10.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Orono and Bangor 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% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
24.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2% ME: 74.3% |
84.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
46.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 min 33% below ME |
23 minHighest 5% below ME |
15 minLowest 38% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±6.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.3%±3.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Cushing and Orono 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 | — | #26 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | RSU 13 | RSU 26 |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | None in town | Orono High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3Highest |
— | 10.7Lowest |
| 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.