Compare towns
Bangor vs South Berwick
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 affordable homes ($220k median).
South Berwick has the most expensive homes ($397k median).
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 | South Berwick |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
3,381Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
41.4±6.2Highest 8% below ME |
| South Berwick 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% |
21.7%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| South Berwick and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±1.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.6%±3.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bangor and South Berwick 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% |
47.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
4%±2.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
$90,972±$22kHighest 22% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $219,600±$10kLowest 26% below ME |
$396,700±$66kHighest 34% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43Lowest 7% below ME |
$1,702±$76Highest 49% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076Lowest about the ME average |
$4,523Highest 49% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±30.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| South Berwick 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% |
4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
67%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1981Highest 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
29 minHighest 19% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| South Berwick and Bangor 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 | #58 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 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.