Compare towns
Beals vs Sidney 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%).
Sidney has the highest household income ($83k).
Sweden has the oldest population (median age 51.1).
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 | Beals | Sidney | Sweden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 498Lowest |
4,790Highest |
537 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 48±15.6 7% above ME |
43±5.5Lowest 4% 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% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
21.8%±5.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Sweden 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% |
18.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
20.3%±8 ME: 22.4% |
| Beals and Sweden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.6%±2.7 ME: 5.8% |
| Beals and Sweden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,063±$14kLowest 14% below ME |
$83,488±$10kHighest 12% above ME |
$73,750±$25k about the ME average |
| Sidney and Sweden 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 |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
$311,300±$61k 5% above ME |
| Sidney and Sweden 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 |
$1,340±$304 18% above ME |
$1,667±$815Highest 46% above ME |
| Sweden and Sidney 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 |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
$2,598Highest 14% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
8.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Sidney and Sweden 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% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
14.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.4% ME: 74.3% |
92.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 17% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
31 minHighest 25% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
9.5%±3.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Beals and Sidney 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 | — | #15 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Beals Public Schools | RSU 18 | — |
| High school 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.