Compare towns
Bowdoinham vs Upton vs Readfield vs Belgrade
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bowdoinham has the oldest population (median age 51.9).
Upton has the highest household income ($156k).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
Belgrade has the shortest commute (23 min average).
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 | Bowdoinham | Upton | Readfield | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 3,142 |
8,189Highest |
2,651Lowest |
3,351 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
0%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 51.9±13.1Highest 33% above U.S. |
46.4±4.8Lowest 19% above U.S. |
48.1±7.6 24% above U.S. |
47.3±14.6 22% above U.S. |
| Bowdoinham and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.5%±6.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
22.6%±6.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Upton and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 21.4%±6.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.3%±4.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
23.9%±6.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Belgrade and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
48.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
49.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.7%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.3%±2 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.7%±3.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Belgrade and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $108,479±$21k 34% above U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
$86,504±$8kLowest 7% above U.S. |
$88,338±$13k 9% above U.S. |
| Upton and Bowdoinham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $405,500±$105k 22% above U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$326,400±$20k about the U.S. average |
$312,200±$44kLowest 6% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $948±$599 33% below U.S. |
$1,125±$844Highest 20% below U.S. |
$857±$108Lowest 39% below U.S. |
| Readfield and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,958 5% below U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
$3,392 9% above U.S. |
$2,859Lowest 8% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 100%±19.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31 U.S.: 51.1% |
31.3%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
17.2%±35.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bowdoinham and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 13.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
5% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
89.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
93.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1979Lowest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
30 min 12% above U.S. |
23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 22%±11.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
24.3%±14.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
20.4%±8.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Readfield and Upton 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 | #73 of 133 in ME | #46 of 282 in MA | #20 of 133 in ME | #71 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | RSU 38 | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | None in town | Blackstone Valley | Maranacook Community High Sch | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.2Lowest |
11.5Highest |
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| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 12 photos → | 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.