Compare towns
Berwick vs Orrington vs Sidney
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Berwick has the most people working from home (20.2%).
Orrington has the oldest population (median age 49.5).
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 | Berwick | Orrington | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,175Highest |
3,853Lowest |
4,790 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.7% ME: +2.6% |
+2.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.7±2.9Lowest 9% below ME |
49.5±3.3Highest 10% above ME |
43±5.5 4% below ME |
| Orrington and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.7%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.2%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.8%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Orrington and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35% ME: 36.2% |
44.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
4.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Orrington and Berwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $94,771±$24kHighest 27% above ME |
$94,556±$10k 27% above ME |
$83,488±$10kLowest 12% above ME |
| Berwick and Orrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $369,100±$19kHighest 24% above ME |
$309,000±$49kLowest 4% above ME |
$336,200±$34k 13% above ME |
| Berwick and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,452±$430Highest 27% above ME |
$1,167±$135Lowest about the ME average |
$1,340±$304 18% above ME |
| Berwick and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,436Highest 46% above ME |
$2,823 7% below ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.6%±46Highest ME: 48.4% |
11.9%±20.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Berwick and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.5% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989Lowest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1989Lowest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 20% above ME |
21 minLowest 13% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 20.2%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Berwick and Sidney 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 | #101 of 133 in ME | #41 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 60/MSAD 60 | Orrington Public Schools | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.