Compare towns
Brewer vs Damariscotta 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 highest household income ($67k).
Damariscotta has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.6%).
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 | Damariscotta | Bangor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652 |
2,192Lowest |
31,938Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% ME: +2.6% |
+3.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
49.3±8.6Highest 10% above ME |
41±1.3 8% below ME |
| Damariscotta and Bangor 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% |
19.4%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Damariscotta 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% |
31.2%±4.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.9%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
41.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
2.2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Bangor 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 |
$59,423±$11kLowest 20% below ME |
$59,942±$7k 20% below ME |
| Brewer and Bangor 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 |
$363,500±$42kHighest 23% above ME |
$219,600±$10kLowest 26% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54Highest 5% below ME |
$1,027±$88Lowest 10% below ME |
$1,055±$43 7% below ME |
| Brewer and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374 11% above ME |
$3,806Highest 25% above ME |
$3,076Lowest about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
68.2%±22.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.5%±6.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Damariscotta 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% |
11.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7% ME: 74.3% |
70%Highest ME: 74.3% |
47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959 18 yrs older than ME |
1981Highest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 min 31% below ME |
23 minHighest 6% below ME |
17 minLowest 33% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
13.2%±6.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±2.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Damariscotta and Bangor 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 | — | #37 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | Great Salt Bay CSD | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | None in town | Bangor High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
— | 13.3Lowest |
| 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.