Compare towns
Belgrade vs Waterville vs Rome
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 most people working from home (20.4%).
Waterville has the most renters (51.2% rent).
Rome has grown the fastest since 2010 (+13.7%).
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 | Waterville | Rome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,351 |
17,077Highest |
1,215Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.9% ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+13.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.3±14.6 6% above ME |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
48.3±9.2Highest 8% above ME |
| Rome and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.6%±6.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±6.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Belgrade and Rome 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% |
18.3%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.7%±9.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Rome 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% |
30.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
39.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.7%±3.2 ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±4.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $88,338±$13kHighest 18% above ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
$77,639±$25k 4% above ME |
| Belgrade and Rome 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 |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
$329,300±$36kHighest 11% above ME |
| Rome and Belgrade 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 |
$978±$72 14% below ME |
$1,150±$56Highest about the ME average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,859Highest 6% below ME |
$2,755 9% below ME |
$1,829Lowest 40% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 17.2%±35.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7 ME: 48.4% |
54.2%±59.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Rome and Waterville 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% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 7% below ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
30 minHighest 21% above ME |
| Work from home | 20.4%±8.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6 ME: 15.9% |
7.4%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Belgrade and Waterville 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 | #105 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 18 | Waterville Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Waterville Senior High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.