Compare towns
Belfast vs Somerville
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 people working from home (12%).
Somerville has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.5%).
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 | Somerville |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 6,986Highest |
837Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 60.6±3.1Highest 35% above ME |
33.5±11.3Lowest 25% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 14.2%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
28.8%±7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 39.1%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
13.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Somerville 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±$9kLowest 9% below ME |
$71,250±$15kHighest 5% below ME |
| Somerville 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 |
$218,100±$41kLowest 26% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $962±$92Lowest 16% below ME |
$1,583±$265Highest 39% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,145Highest 37% above ME |
$2,505Lowest 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.4%±14.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
65.7%±58.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Somerville and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 16%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 13% below ME |
27 minHighest 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 12%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Belfast and Somerville 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 | — |
| School district | RSU 71 | RSU 12 |
| High school in town | Belfast Area High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.