Compare towns
Beals vs Penobscot vs Brooklin
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 shortest commute (21 min average).
Penobscot has the most kids (18% under 18).
Brooklin has grown the fastest since 2010 (+0.4%).
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 | Penobscot | Brooklin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 498Lowest |
1,154Highest |
869 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-10.1% ME: +2.6% |
+0.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48±15.6Lowest 7% above ME |
53.4±5.7Highest 19% above ME |
49.2±3.7 10% above ME |
| Penobscot and Brooklin 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%±6Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Penobscot and Brooklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.1%±5.1 ME: 22.4% |
32%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Penobscot and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.6% ME: 36.2% |
32.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
41.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5 ME: 5.8% |
1%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.2%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooklin and Beals 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 |
$63,194±$14kLowest 15% below ME |
$68,750±$8kHighest 8% below ME |
| Brooklin 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±$45kLowest 13% below ME |
$296,400±$58k about the ME average |
$339,400±$90kHighest 14% above ME |
| Brooklin and Penobscot 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 |
$1,141±$33 about the ME average |
$1,236±$137Highest 9% above ME |
| Brooklin and Penobscot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,580Highest 15% below ME |
$1,852 39% below ME |
$1,792Lowest 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
73.9%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
29.5%±25 ME: 48.4% |
| Penobscot and Brooklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.8% ME: 10.7% |
16%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.2% ME: 74.3% |
84.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 17% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
26 minHighest 4% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9 ME: 15.9% |
17.7%±13.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.5%±6.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Penobscot and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Beals Public Schools | Penobscot Public Schools | Brooklin Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.