Compare towns
Bangor vs Hermon 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).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Brewer has the youngest population (median age 40.1).
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 | Hermon | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
6,727Lowest |
9,652 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3 8% below ME |
41.1±4.7Highest 8% below ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Hermon 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% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Brewer and Hermon 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% |
37.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Bangor and Brewer 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 |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
$66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
| Hermon and Brewer 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 |
$333,600±$32kHighest 12% above ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43Lowest 7% below ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076 about the ME average |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
$3,374Highest 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest 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% |
6.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
75.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
23 minHighest 8% below ME |
17 min 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bangor and Hermon 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 | #54 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | Hermon Public Schools | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | Hermon High School | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3Lowest |
14.6Highest |
14.0 |
| 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.