Compare towns
Brewer vs Hampden vs Newburgh
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 renters (40.3% rent).
Hampden has the most people working from home (21.3%).
Newburgh has the oldest population (median age 45.8).
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 | Hampden | Newburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
7,896 |
1,475Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
41±2.9 8% below ME |
45.8±5.7Highest about the ME average |
| Newburgh and Hampden 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% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.8%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden 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% |
17.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Brewer and Newburgh 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% |
45.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
29.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
4.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Hampden 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 |
$111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$76,750±$10k about the ME average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
$301,300±$38kHighest about the ME average |
$244,600±$20kLowest 18% below ME |
| Hampden and Brewer 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 |
$1,286±$317Highest 13% above ME |
$950±$219Lowest 17% below ME |
| Hampden and Brewer 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 |
$3,694Highest 22% above ME |
$2,748Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±13.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Newburgh 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% |
7.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
11.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.4%±3.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #32 of 133 in ME | #6 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 22 | — |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | Hampden Academy | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Lowest |
14.8Highest |
— |
| 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.