Compare towns
Beals vs Augusta vs Sweden
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Beals has the most people working from home (17.6%).
Augusta has the most renters (46.2% rent).
Sweden has the most expensive homes ($311k 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 | Beals | Augusta | Sweden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 498Lowest |
19,077Highest |
537 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-1.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 48±15.6 7% above ME |
42.5±2.4Lowest 5% below ME |
51.1±19.2Highest 14% above ME |
| Sweden and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.1%±6.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.9%±2.6 ME: 18.1% |
21.8%±5.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Sweden and Augusta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.5%±2.6 ME: 22.4% |
20.3%±8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
28.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.6%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Beals and Augusta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,063±$14k 14% below ME |
$47,979±$3kLowest 36% below ME |
$73,750±$25kHighest about the ME average |
| Sweden and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,700±$45k 13% below ME |
$201,000±$18kLowest 32% below ME |
$311,300±$61kHighest 5% above ME |
| Sweden and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $907±$378Lowest 20% below ME |
$919±$79 19% below ME |
$1,667±$815Highest 46% above ME |
| Sweden and Augusta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,580 15% below ME |
$2,465Lowest 19% below ME |
$2,598Highest 14% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
49.2%±8.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
8.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Augusta and Sweden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
18.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
14.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9% ME: 74.3% |
53.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 17% below ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
31 minHighest 25% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.1%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
9.5%±3.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Beals and Augusta 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 | — | #119 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Beals Public Schools | Augusta Public Schools · Maine Arts Academy | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Cony | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 17.9 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.