Compare towns
Belfast vs Searsport
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Belfast has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4%).
Searsport has the most people working from home (20.2%).
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 | Searsport |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 6,986Highest |
2,655Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 60.6±3.1Highest 35% above ME |
42.9±7.2Lowest 4% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 14.2%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Searsport and Belfast 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% |
23.7%±7.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
23.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.4%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Searsport and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $67,679±$9kHighest 9% below ME |
$64,303±$19kLowest 14% below ME |
| Belfast and Searsport 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 |
$224,400±$78kLowest 24% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $962±$92Lowest 16% below ME |
$1,105±$87Highest about the ME average |
| Searsport and Belfast 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 |
$2,225Lowest 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.4%±14.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
48.2%±25.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Searsport 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% |
14.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
69.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1975Highest 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 13% below ME |
22 min 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 12%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.2%±9.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Searsport and Belfast 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 | #109 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 71 | RSU 20 |
| High school in town | Belfast Area High School | Searsport District High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Highest |
8.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.