Compare towns
Bethel vs Eliot
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bethel has the most people working from home (27.7%).
Eliot has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).
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 | Bethel | Eliot |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 2,617Lowest |
7,146Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 50.2±6.4Lowest 12% above ME |
50.8±5.9Highest 13% above ME |
| Eliot and Bethel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 15.9%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Eliot and Bethel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 29.3%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
27.8%±6.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bethel and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
43.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Bethel and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $58,929±$23kLowest 21% below ME |
$101,522±$10kHighest 36% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $344,900±$37kLowest 16% above ME |
$498,900±$62kHighest 68% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $864±$43Lowest 24% below ME |
$1,948±$471Highest 71% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,835Lowest 7% below ME |
$4,549Highest 50% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 21.3%±15.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Eliot and Bethel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 13.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minHighest 5% above ME |
23 minLowest 9% below ME |
| Work from home | 27.7%±8.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bethel and Eliot 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 | #49 of 133 in ME | #19 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 44/MSAD 44 | RSU 35/MSAD 35 |
| High school in town | Telstar High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3 |
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| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.