Compare towns
Bangor vs Durham
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).
Durham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).
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 | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
4,262Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
42.6±5.9Highest 5% below ME |
| Durham and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 16.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.7%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Durham 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 ME: 22.4% |
16.6%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bangor and Durham 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% |
34.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±3.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
$99,181±$5kHighest 33% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $219,600±$10kLowest 26% below ME |
$322,200±$34kHighest 9% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43 7% below ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076Lowest about the ME average |
$3,781Highest 25% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
25%±40.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bangor and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 17.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
95.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.9%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #37 of 133 in ME | #14 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | RSU 05 |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.