Compare towns
Bradley vs Strong vs Orono
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 highest household income ($77k).
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Orono has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.5%).
Orono is a college town. 59.8% 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 | Strong | Orono |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,645 |
1,249Lowest |
11,151Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.7% ME: +2.6% |
-7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42.6±9.7 5% below ME |
47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
21.6±0.3Lowest 52% below ME |
| Strong and Bradley 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% |
19.5%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
6.8%±1.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Bradley and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.5%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
11%±2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Strong and Bradley 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% |
26.5% ME: 36.2% |
69.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±2 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
59.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $76,667±$28kHighest about the ME average |
$47,557±$10kLowest 36% below ME |
$59,784±$5k 20% 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±$37k 32% below ME |
$183,900±$29kLowest 38% below ME |
$262,900±$39kHighest 11% below ME |
| Orono and Bradley 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 |
$920±$276Lowest 19% below ME |
$1,280±$117Highest 12% above 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 |
$1,950 36% below ME |
$4,778Highest 57% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31.3%±22.5 ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
60.2%±11.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Orono and Bradley 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% |
13.9% ME: 10.7% |
27%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
41.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 7% below ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
15 minLowest 38% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.1%±7.9 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
11%±3.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Strong 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 |
| School district | RSU 34 | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.