Compare towns
Brewer vs Damariscotta vs Newcastle
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 affordable homes ($245k median).
Newcastle has the most people working from home (20.2%).
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 | Newcastle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
2,192 |
1,913Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+3.6% ME: +2.6% |
+5.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
49.3±8.6 10% above ME |
49.4±7Highest 10% above ME |
| Newcastle and Damariscotta 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% |
17.8%±3.4Lowest 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%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
31.2%±4.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±1.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
41.9% ME: 36.2% |
45.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Newcastle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
$59,423±$11kLowest 20% below ME |
$89,868±$33kHighest 20% above ME |
| Newcastle 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±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
$363,500±$42k 23% above ME |
$398,000±$41kHighest 34% above ME |
| Newcastle and Damariscotta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,027±$88Lowest 10% below ME |
$1,363±$81Highest 20% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374Lowest 11% above ME |
$3,806 25% above ME |
$4,256Highest 40% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
68.2%±22.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
5.8%±16.2Lowest 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
11.9% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
70% ME: 74.3% |
80.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
23 minHighest 6% below ME |
17 min 30% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
13.2%±6.2 ME: 15.9% |
20.2%±4.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Newcastle and Damariscotta 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 | — | — |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | Great Salt Bay CSD | — |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0 |
— | — |
| 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.