Compare towns
Brewer vs Ellsworth vs Hermon vs Mapleton
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 shortest commute (17 min average).
Ellsworth has the oldest population (median age 43).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Mapleton has the most people working from home (10.8%).
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 | Ellsworth | Hermon | Mapleton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
8,657 |
6,727 |
1,884Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% ME: +2.6% |
+8.5% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
43±2.4Highest 4% below ME |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
| Ellsworth and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 22.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Brewer and Ellsworth 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% |
39.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
| Hermon and Mapleton 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 |
$242,300±$22k 18% below ME |
$333,600±$32kHighest 12% above ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,017±$195 11% below ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374Highest 11% above ME |
$3,262 7% above ME |
$2,761 9% below ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth 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% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
75.2% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
23 min 8% below ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Mapleton and Hermon 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 | #63 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | Ellsworth High School | Hermon High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0 |
12.7Lowest |
14.6Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.