Compare towns
Belgrade vs Limerick vs Readfield vs Sidney
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Belgrade has the shortest commute (23 min average).
Limerick has the highest household income ($101k).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
Sidney has the most expensive homes ($336k median).
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 | Belgrade | Limerick | Readfield | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 3,351 |
3,400 |
2,651Lowest |
4,790Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.9% ME: +2.6% |
+10.2% ME: +2.6% |
0%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.3±14.6 6% above ME |
40.4±9.2Lowest 10% below ME |
48.1±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
43±5.5 4% below ME |
| Readfield and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.6%±6.9 ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±5.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±6.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.1%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Belgrade and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
27.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
48.8% ME: 36.2% |
33.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.7%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Belgrade and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $88,338±$13k 18% above ME |
$101,172±$15kHighest 35% above ME |
$86,504±$8k 16% above ME |
$83,488±$10kLowest 12% above ME |
| Limerick and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $312,200±$44k 5% above ME |
$269,400±$29kLowest 9% below ME |
$326,400±$20k 10% above ME |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
| Sidney and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $857±$108Lowest 25% below ME |
$1,758±$407Highest 54% above ME |
$1,125±$844 about the ME average |
$1,340±$304 18% above ME |
| Limerick and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,859 6% below ME |
$2,520 17% below ME |
$3,392Highest 12% above ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 17.2%±35.9 ME: 48.4% |
38.8%±14.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Limerick and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5% ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.8% ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1994 17 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 7% below ME |
38 minHighest 53% above ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 20.4%±8.6 ME: 15.9% |
15.2%±6.7 ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Belgrade 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 | #71 of 133 in ME | — | #20 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 18 | — | RSU 38 | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Maranacook Community High Sch | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.5 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.