Compare towns
Belgrade vs Millinocket 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).
Millinocket has the most affordable homes ($104k median).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
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 | Millinocket | Readfield | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 3,351 |
4,115 |
2,651Lowest |
4,790Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.9% ME: +2.6% |
-8.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
0% ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.3±14.6 6% above ME |
54.2±6.2Highest 21% above ME |
48.1±7.6 7% above ME |
43±5.5Lowest 4% below ME |
| Millinocket and Readfield 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% |
16.1%±5.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9 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%±6.4 ME: 22.4% |
36.2%±8.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Millinocket and Belgrade 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% |
18.6%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% |
4%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Belgrade and Millinocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $88,338±$13kHighest 18% above ME |
$51,007±$9kLowest 32% below ME |
$86,504±$8k 16% above ME |
$83,488±$10k 12% above ME |
| Belgrade and Readfield 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 |
$103,800±$26kLowest 65% 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±$108 25% below ME |
$451±$130Lowest 60% below ME |
$1,125±$844 about the ME average |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
| Sidney and Readfield 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 |
$1,580Lowest 48% below ME |
$3,392Highest 12% above ME |
$2,474 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 17.2%±35.9 ME: 48.4% |
20.5%±11 ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Readfield and Millinocket 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% |
17.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5% ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
89.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1956Lowest 21 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 7% below ME |
24 min about the ME average |
30 minHighest 20% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 20.4%±8.6 ME: 15.9% |
6.6%±4.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 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 | #98 of 133 in ME | #20 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 18 | Millinocket Public Schools | RSU 38 | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | None in town | Stearns Jr-Sr High School | Maranacook Community High Sch | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.6Highest |
11.5Lowest |
— |
| 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.