Compare towns
Bangor vs Hermon vs Wells
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 the most kids (21.6% under 18).
Wells has the most people working from home (17.8%).
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 | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
6,727Lowest |
11,713 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+18% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
53.6±3.8Highest 20% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 16.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Wells 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% |
31%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
43.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
$88,024±$11k 18% above ME |
| Hermon and Wells 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±$32k 12% above ME |
$485,300±$23kHighest 64% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43Lowest 7% below ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
| Hermon and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076 about the ME average |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
$3,215Highest 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Bangor and Wells 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% |
6.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
75.2% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
28 minHighest 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #37 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | Hermon Public Schools | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | Hermon High School | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3 |
14.6Highest |
11.4Lowest |
| 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.