Compare towns
Beals vs Thomaston 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 most people working from home (17.6%).
Thomaston has the shortest commute (14 min average).
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 | Thomaston | Brooklin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 498Lowest |
2,769Highest |
869 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-1.5% ME: +2.6% |
+0.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48±15.6Lowest 7% above ME |
58.1±6.6Highest 30% above ME |
49.2±3.7 10% above ME |
| Thomaston 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% |
19.2%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Thomaston 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% |
35.5%±8.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Thomaston 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% |
30.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
41.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5 ME: 5.8% |
1.6%±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 |
$56,435±$13kLowest 24% 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 |
$271,700±$10k 8% below ME |
$339,400±$90kHighest 14% above ME |
| Brooklin and Thomaston 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 |
$1,262±$343Highest 11% above ME |
$1,236±$137 9% above ME |
| Thomaston and Brooklin 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 |
$4,487Highest 48% above ME |
$1,792Lowest 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
60.5%±23.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
29.5%±25 ME: 48.4% |
| Thomaston 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% |
6.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9% ME: 74.3% |
73.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 17% below ME |
14 minLowest 45% below ME |
26 minHighest 4% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.5%±6.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Beals and Brooklin 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 | — | #99 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Beals Public Schools | RSU 13 | 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.