Compare towns
Bangor vs Rockland
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).
Rockland has the most people working from home (22.1%).
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 | Rockland |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
7,035Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
49.3±6Highest 10% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 16.7%±1.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Bangor and Rockland 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% |
25.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Rockland 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
35.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7kHighest 20% below ME |
$56,533±$6kLowest 24% below ME |
| Bangor and Rockland 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 |
$245,800±$38kHighest 17% below ME |
| Rockland and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43Lowest 7% below ME |
$1,092±$105Highest 4% below ME |
| Rockland and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076Lowest about the ME average |
$4,059Highest 34% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±15.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Rockland 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% |
10.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
62%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Highest 23 yrs older than ME |
1948Lowest 29 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minHighest 33% below ME |
12 minLowest 50% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.1%±7.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #37 of 133 in ME | #96 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | Rockland-Region 8 · RSU 13 |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | Oceanside High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3Highest |
10.7Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.