Compare towns
Brewer vs Gardiner vs Newfields
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Gardiner has the most affordable homes ($222k median).
Newfields has the highest household income ($198k).
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 | Gardiner | Newfields |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
6,088 |
2,023Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 3% above U.S. |
42±3.6 8% above U.S. |
44.1±1.8Highest 13% above U.S. |
| Newfields and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.6%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18.9%±1.6 U.S.: 22% |
| Brewer and Newfields are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.4%±3.6Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.7%±3.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
13.6%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Brewer and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35% U.S.: 35.7% |
29.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
68.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.1%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
7.5%±7.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Brewer and Newfields 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 17% below U.S. |
$71,782±$10k 11% below U.S. |
$197,885±$15kHighest 145% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,300±$21k 26% below U.S. |
$221,600±$19kLowest 33% below U.S. |
$646,400±$34kHighest 94% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,113±$191 21% below U.S. |
$1,875±$323Highest 33% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374 8% above U.S. |
$2,742Lowest 12% below U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
44.6%±13.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
43.3%±40.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Brewer and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
2.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
68.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
95.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959 21 yrs older than U.S. |
1944Lowest 36 yrs older than U.S. |
1991Highest 11 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 36% below U.S. |
30 minHighest 14% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.9%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
25.5%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #32 of 133 in ME | #36 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | Newfields School District |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | Gardiner Area High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
11.8Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.