Compare towns
Bradley vs Orono vs Old Town
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bradley has the most homeowners (84.6%).
Orono has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.9%).
Old Town has the most people working from home (21.4%).
Orono is a college town. 56.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Bradley | Orono | Old Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,645Lowest |
11,902Highest |
7,470 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.7% ME: +2.6% |
+7.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-5.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42.6±9.7Highest 5% below ME |
21.8±0.3Lowest 51% below ME |
37±1.5 17% below ME |
| Bradley and Old Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.9%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
6.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.8%±4.1 ME: 18.1% |
| Bradley and Old Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.5%±2.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.4%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
16.9%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Bradley and Old Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
66.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
36.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
56.1%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
13.2%±6.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $76,667±$28kHighest about the ME average |
$61,528±$5k 18% below ME |
$51,585±$10kLowest 31% below ME |
| Bradley and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $201,800±$37kLowest 32% below ME |
$272,600±$40kHighest 8% below ME |
$208,100±$26k 30% below ME |
| Orono and Old Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,088±$325 4% below ME |
$1,255±$112Highest 10% above ME |
$989±$100Lowest 13% below ME |
| Orono and Bradley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,946Lowest 36% below ME |
$4,830Highest 59% above ME |
$3,153 4% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31.3%±22.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.1%±10.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±15 ME: 48.4% |
| Orono and Old Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
24.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
21.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
46.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
59.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1963Lowest 14 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minHighest 7% below ME |
15 minLowest 38% below ME |
20 min 18% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.1%±7.9 ME: 15.9% |
11.3%±3.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.4%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Old Town and Bradley 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 | — | #26 of 133 in ME | #56 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 34 | RSU 26 | RSU 34 |
| High school in town | None in town | Orono High School | Old Town High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7Lowest |
12.8Highest |
| 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.