Compare towns
Bowdoin vs Alfred
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bowdoin has the most people working from home (11.7%).
Alfred has the most expensive homes ($342k 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 | Bowdoin | Alfred |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 3,188Highest |
3,125Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.3±10Lowest about the ME average |
44.9±5.3Highest about the ME average |
| Alfred and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±6.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.7%±6.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Bowdoin and Alfred are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.4%±5.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.9%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Bowdoin and Alfred are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $91,239±$13kHighest 22% above ME |
$82,321±$18kLowest 10% above ME |
| Bowdoin and Alfred are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $292,800±$71kLowest about the ME average |
$342,300±$38kHighest 15% above ME |
| Alfred and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,035±$432 9% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,375Lowest 11% above ME |
$3,543Highest 17% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±42.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
82.2%±29.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 11%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 29% above ME |
28 minLowest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.7%±7Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.6%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bowdoin and Alfred 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 | #28 of 133 in ME | #74 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | RSU 57/MSAD 57 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.