Compare towns
Bangor vs Gorham vs Brewer
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).
Gorham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.9%).
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 | Gorham | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
18,300 |
9,652Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+11.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3Highest 8% below ME |
39.4±2.9Lowest 12% below ME |
40.1±4.8 10% 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%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±1.9 ME: 22.4% |
17.5%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Highest 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% ME: 36.2% |
44.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
13.1%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gorham and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
$112,312±$6kHighest 50% above ME |
$66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $219,600±$10kLowest 26% below ME |
$460,900±$26kHighest 55% above ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43Lowest 7% below ME |
$1,680±$355Highest 47% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076Lowest about the ME average |
$4,825Highest 59% above ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5 ME: 48.4% |
37.9%±8.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Bangor 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% |
3.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
27 minHighest 10% above ME |
17 min 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5 ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #37 of 133 in ME | #24 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | Gorham Public Schools | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | Gorham High School | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3 |
12.9Lowest |
14.0Highest |
| 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.