What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bangor has the most affordable homes ($220k median).

Dover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Bangor	Dover
People
Population	31,938Lowest	33,364Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41±1.3Highest 5% above U.S.	36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S.
Kids under 18	16.7%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 22%	16.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 22%
	Dover and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.9%±1.9Highest U.S.: 17.2%	16.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Bangor and Dover 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 U.S.: 35.7%	52%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	10.4%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	6.2%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$59,942±$7kLowest 26% below U.S.	$94,829±$7kHighest 17% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$219,600±$10kLowest 34% below U.S.	$436,700±$20kHighest 31% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,055±$43Lowest 25% below U.S.	$1,607±$100Highest 14% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,076Lowest about the U.S. average	$8,249Highest 164% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.5%±6.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%	48.6%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Bangor and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	17.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	8.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	47.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	52.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S.	1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	17 minLowest 37% below U.S.	23 minHighest 14% below U.S.
Work from home	10.1%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	18.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#37 of 133 in ME	#64 of 120 in NH
School district	Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4	Dover School District
High school in town	Bangor High School	Dover Senior High School
Students per teacherat that high school	13.3Highest	12.7Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.