Compare towns
Brewer vs Brunswick vs Bangor
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brewer has the most kids (20.9% under 18).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.3%).
Bangor has the most renters (52.8% rent).
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 | Brunswick | Bangor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652Lowest |
22,336 |
31,938Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
41±1.3Highest 8% below ME |
| Bangor and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Brunswick 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% |
22.9%±2.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.9%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Brunswick 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
10.4%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
$74,952±$6kHighest about the ME average |
$59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
| Brunswick and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
$219,600±$10kLowest 26% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,055±$43Lowest 7% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374 11% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$3,076Lowest about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.5%±6.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.5% ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7% ME: 74.3% |
71.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959 18 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 min 31% below ME |
23 minHighest 5% below ME |
17 minLowest 33% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±2.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #32 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME | #37 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | Brunswick High School | Bangor High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
10.9Lowest |
13.3 |
| 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.