Compare towns
Belfast vs Eliot vs Wells
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Belfast has the most affordable homes ($341k median).
Eliot has the highest household income ($102k).
Wells has grown the fastest since 2010 (+18%).
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 | Belfast | Eliot | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,986Lowest |
7,146 |
11,713Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3% ME: +2.6% |
+18%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 60.6±3.1Highest 35% above ME |
50.8±5.9Lowest 13% above ME |
53.6±3.8 20% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 14.2%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
18%±3.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Wells and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 39.1%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
27.8%±6.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
31%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Belfast and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Wells and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $67,679±$9kLowest 9% below ME |
$101,522±$10kHighest 36% above ME |
$88,024±$11k 18% above ME |
| Eliot and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $340,900±$34kLowest 15% above ME |
$498,900±$62kHighest 68% above ME |
$485,300±$23k 64% above ME |
| Eliot and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $962±$92Lowest 16% below ME |
$1,948±$471Highest 71% above ME |
$1,350±$297 19% above ME |
| Eliot and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,145 37% above ME |
$4,549Highest 50% above ME |
$3,215Lowest 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.4%±14.4 ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
42.1%±19.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Eliot and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.8% ME: 74.3% |
90.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 13% below ME |
23 min 9% below ME |
28 minHighest 12% above ME |
| Work from home | 12%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Wells and Eliot 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 | #84 of 133 in ME | #19 of 133 in ME | #22 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 71 | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Wells-Ogunquit CSD |
| High school in town | Belfast Area High School | None in town | Wells High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
— | 11.4Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.