Compare towns
Beals vs Sidney vs Whiting
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 most expensive homes ($336k median).
Whiting has the most affordable homes ($214k 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 | Sidney | Whiting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 498Lowest |
4,790Highest |
506 |
| 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 |
50±5Highest 12% above ME |
| Whiting 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% |
17.8%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Whiting 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% |
27.5%±6.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Beals and Whiting 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% |
34.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.8%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Beals and Whiting 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 |
$83,488±$10kHighest 12% above ME |
$55,263±$2kLowest 26% below ME |
| Sidney 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 |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
$214,200±$52kLowest 28% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $907±$378 20% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
$600±$333Lowest 47% below ME |
| Sidney and Beals 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 |
$2,474 19% below ME |
$1,728Lowest 43% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Whiting and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.4% ME: 74.3% |
93.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 17% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
22 min 10% below ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
5.1%±2.8Lowest 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 | Whiting 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.