Compare towns
Beals vs Sumner 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).
Sumner has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.9%).
Brooklin has the most expensive homes ($339k 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 | Sumner | Brooklin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 498Lowest |
845 |
869Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48±15.6Lowest 7% above ME |
56.1±8.4Highest 25% above ME |
49.2±3.7 10% above ME |
| Sumner 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% |
17.2%±6.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Sumner and Brooklin 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% |
29.7%±5.2 ME: 22.4% |
24.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Beals and Sumner 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% |
15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
41.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5 ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.4Lowest 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 |
$57,750±$19kLowest 23% 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±$45k 13% below ME |
$150,000±$73kLowest 49% below ME |
$339,400±$90kHighest 14% above ME |
| Brooklin 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 |
— | $1,236±$137Highest 9% above ME |
| Brooklin 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 |
$2,167 29% below ME |
$1,792Lowest 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
29.5%±25 ME: 48.4% |
| Sumner and Brooklin 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% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 17% below ME |
42 minHighest 72% above ME |
26 min 4% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±8Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.5%±6.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Sumner 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 | RSU 10 | 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.