Compare towns
Belfast vs Lewiston vs Waldo
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 oldest population (median age 60.6).
Lewiston has the most renters (48.8% rent).
Waldo has the most people working from home (15.6%).
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 | Lewiston | Waldo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,986 |
38,324Highest |
926Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4% ME: +2.6% |
+1.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 60.6±3.1Highest 35% above ME |
37.3±1.2Lowest 17% below ME |
37.5±9.6 16% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 14.2%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.6%±1.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.2%±4.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Lewiston and Waldo 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% |
18.3%±1.7 ME: 22.4% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
36.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.1%±1Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $67,679±$9k 9% below ME |
$55,393±$4kLowest 26% below ME |
$71,458±$21kHighest 4% below ME |
| Waldo and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $340,900±$34kHighest 15% above ME |
$235,100±$8k 21% below ME |
$208,000±$41kLowest 30% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $962±$92Lowest 16% below ME |
$986±$44 13% below ME |
$1,150±$691Highest about the ME average |
| Waldo and Lewiston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,145Highest 37% above ME |
$2,899 5% below ME |
$1,623Lowest 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.4%±14.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.7%±5.9 ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Waldo and Lewiston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16% ME: 10.7% |
20%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.5% ME: 74.3% |
51.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967 10 yrs older than ME |
1957Lowest 20 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minHighest 13% below ME |
21 min 15% below ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
| Work from home | 12%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Waldo and Lewiston 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 | #132 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 71 | Lewiston Public Schools · Acadia Academy | Waldo-Region 7 |
| High school in town | Belfast Area High School | Lewiston High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
14.7Highest |
— |
| 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.