Compare towns
Brewer vs Addison 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
Brewer has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2%).
Addison has the most homeowners (85%).
Old Town has the most people working from home (21.4%).
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 | Brewer | Addison | Old Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
1,045Lowest |
7,470 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-9.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-5.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
54.2±3.9Highest 21% above ME |
37±1.5Lowest 17% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
15.7%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.8%±4.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Old Town and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±3.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
16.9%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Addison and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35% ME: 36.2% |
19.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
36.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.2%±6.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Old Town and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,613±$9kHighest 11% below ME |
$50,524±$8kLowest 32% below ME |
$51,585±$10k 31% below ME |
| Brewer and Old Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,300±$21kHighest 17% below ME |
$163,500±$28kLowest 45% below ME |
$208,100±$26k 30% below ME |
| Brewer and Old Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54Highest 5% below ME |
$900±$807Lowest 21% below ME |
$989±$100 13% below ME |
| Brewer and Old Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374Highest 11% above ME |
$1,625Lowest 46% below ME |
$3,153 4% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
60%±47.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±15Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Addison and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
22.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
21.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7% ME: 74.3% |
85%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
1963 14 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
27 minHighest 11% above ME |
20 min 18% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
8.9%±4.8 ME: 15.9% |
21.4%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Old Town and Addison 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 | #32 of 133 in ME | — | #56 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 37/MSAD 37 | RSU 34 |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | None in town | Old Town High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
— | 12.8Lowest |
| 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.