Compare towns
Bennington vs Brewer vs Lisbon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bennington has the most people working from home (14.7%).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Lisbon has the most affordable homes ($198k 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 | Bennington | Brewer | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,588 |
9,652Highest |
1,583Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.1±7.8 8% above U.S. |
40.1±4.8Lowest 3% above U.S. |
46.4±5.7Highest 19% above U.S. |
| Lisbon and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 26%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.9%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.5%±6.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Bennington and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.2%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.4%±3.6Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.8%±5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Brewer and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
35%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
30.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
7.7%±2.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $83,875±$7kHighest 4% above U.S. |
$66,613±$9k 17% below U.S. |
$65,500±$13kLowest 19% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $267,300±$15kHighest 20% below U.S. |
$245,300±$21k 26% below U.S. |
$198,000±$19kLowest 40% below U.S. |
| Bennington and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$150 9% below U.S. |
$1,086±$54Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,344±$303Highest 5% below U.S. |
| Lisbon and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,944Highest 91% above U.S. |
$3,374Lowest 8% above U.S. |
$4,691 50% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.2%±20.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
55.7%±13.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.9%±18.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Brewer and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
59.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
74.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S. |
1969 11 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 40% above U.S. |
17 minLowest 36% below U.S. |
22 min 19% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 14.7%±4.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.3%±2.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bennington and Lisbon 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 | — | #32 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Contoocook Valley School District | Brewer Public Schools | Lisbon Regional School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Brewer High School | Lisbon Regional School (High) |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.0Highest |
6.4Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.