Compare towns
Bangor vs Palmyra
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).
Palmyra has the most homeowners (82.6%).
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 | Palmyra |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
2,209Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3Highest 8% below ME |
37.1±4.8Lowest 17% below ME |
| Bangor and Palmyra 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% |
29.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±1.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
16.7%±5.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bangor and Palmyra 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% |
13.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
4%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
$60,543±$17kHighest 19% below ME |
| Palmyra and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $219,600±$10kHighest 26% below ME |
$154,900±$34kLowest 48% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43Highest 7% below ME |
$733±$119Lowest 36% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076Highest about the ME average |
$1,614Lowest 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
47.2%±14.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bangor and Palmyra 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% |
9.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1994Highest 17 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
21 minHighest 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.5%±4.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bangor and Palmyra 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 | — |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | — |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.