Compare towns
Belfast vs Standish
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).
Standish has the highest household income ($105k).
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 | Standish |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 6,986Lowest |
10,662Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 60.6±3.1Highest 35% above ME |
40.5±2.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 14.2%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±3.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Standish 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% |
15.2%±2.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
36%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
11.6%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $67,679±$9kLowest 9% below ME |
$104,593±$15kHighest 40% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $340,900±$34kHighest 15% above ME |
$336,000±$18kLowest 13% above ME |
| Belfast and Standish 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 |
$983±$453Highest 14% below ME |
| Standish 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 |
$3,005Lowest about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.4%±14.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
57.4%±22.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Standish 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% |
7.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 13% below ME |
29 minHighest 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 12%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
13.6%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Standish 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 | #18 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 71 | RSU 06/MSAD 06 |
| High school in town | Belfast Area High School | Bonny Eagle High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
12.5Highest |
| 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.