Compare towns
Belfast vs Waldo vs Wayne
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 renters (31.5% rent).
Waldo has the most kids (20.2% under 18).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
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 | Waldo | Wayne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,986Highest |
926Lowest |
1,101 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4% ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 60.6±3.1Highest 35% above ME |
37.5±9.6Lowest 16% below ME |
55.6±5.3 24% above ME |
| Belfast and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.2%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
20.2%±4.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Waldo 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% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.2%±3.8 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.9% ME: 36.2% |
36.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1 ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $67,679±$9kLowest 9% below ME |
$71,458±$21k 4% below ME |
$93,194±$26kHighest 25% above ME |
| Wayne and Waldo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $340,900±$34k 15% above ME |
$208,000±$41kLowest 30% below ME |
$362,800±$29kHighest 22% above ME |
| Wayne and Belfast 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 |
$1,150±$691Highest about the ME average |
$983±$554 14% below ME |
| Waldo and Wayne 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 |
$1,623Lowest 47% below ME |
$3,289 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.4%±14.4 ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Waldo 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% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
7.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 13% below ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
| Work from home | 12%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne and Waldo 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 | Waldo-Region 7 | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | Belfast Area High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3 |
— | — |
| 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.