Compare towns
Brewer vs Gorham vs Hermon vs Saco
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).
Gorham has the highest household income ($112k).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Saco has the oldest population (median age 44.9).
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 | Gorham | Hermon | Saco |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 9,652 |
18,300 |
6,727Lowest |
20,819Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+11.9% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
39.4±2.9Lowest 12% below ME |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
44.9±1.5Highest about the ME average |
| Saco and Hermon 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% |
20.9%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Brewer 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% |
17.5%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Brewer and Hermon 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% |
44.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
37.6% ME: 36.2% |
43.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
13.1%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$112,312±$6kHighest 50% above ME |
$96,629±$22k 29% above ME |
$92,241±$11k 23% above ME |
| Gorham and Hermon 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 |
$460,900±$26kHighest 55% above ME |
$333,600±$32k 12% above ME |
$413,100±$17k 39% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54Lowest 5% below ME |
$1,680±$355Highest 47% above ME |
$1,406±$202 23% above ME |
$1,249±$385 10% above ME |
| Gorham and Hermon 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 |
$4,825Highest 59% above ME |
$2,761Lowest 9% below ME |
$4,807 58% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.9%±8.6 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14 ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Saco 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% |
3.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.8% ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2% ME: 74.3% |
72.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
27 minHighest 10% above ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
24 min 3% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #32 of 133 in ME | #24 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME | #38 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | Gorham Public Schools | Hermon Public Schools | Saco Public Schools |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | Gorham High School | Hermon High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0 |
12.9Lowest |
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.