Compare towns
Bangor vs Mapleton vs Brewer vs Waterville
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).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Brewer has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2%).
Waterville has the most people working from home (16.6%).
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 | Mapleton | Brewer | Waterville |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
1,884Lowest |
9,652 |
17,077 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.7% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3 8% below ME |
41.8±6Highest 7% below ME |
40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
| Mapleton and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.7%±1.7 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±1.9 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5Lowest 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
35% ME: 36.2% |
30.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7k 20% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
| Mapleton 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±$10k 26% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$245,300±$21kHighest 17% below ME |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
| Brewer and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43 7% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,086±$54Highest 5% below ME |
$978±$72 14% below ME |
| Brewer and Bangor 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 |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,374Highest 11% above ME |
$2,755 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7 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% ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5% ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7% ME: 74.3% |
48.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
1959 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
17 min 31% below ME |
18 min 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Waterville and Mapleton 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 | — | #32 of 133 in ME | #105 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Brewer Public Schools | Waterville Public Schools |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | None in town | Brewer High School | Waterville Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3 |
— | 14.0Highest |
12.8Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.