Compare towns
Brewer vs Levant vs Gardiner
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).
Levant has the highest household income ($86k).
Gardiner has the most people working from home (13.9%).
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 | Levant | Gardiner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
3,069Lowest |
6,088 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+3.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
39.7±2.2Lowest 11% below ME |
42±3.6Highest 6% below ME |
| Gardiner and Brewer 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% |
19.8%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Levant 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% |
18.1%±4.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.7%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
| 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
29.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.2%±2.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Gardiner 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 |
$86,071±$22kHighest 15% above ME |
$71,782±$10k 4% below ME |
| Levant and Gardiner 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 |
$268,500±$27kHighest 9% below ME |
$221,600±$19kLowest 25% below ME |
| Levant and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54Lowest 5% below ME |
$1,370±$120Highest 20% above ME |
$1,113±$191 about the ME average |
| Levant and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374Highest 11% above ME |
$2,580Lowest 15% below ME |
$2,742 10% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
45.7%±14 ME: 48.4% |
44.6%±13.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Levant 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%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
68.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959 18 yrs older than ME |
1995Highest 18 yrs newer than ME |
1944Lowest 33 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
31 minHighest 27% above ME |
30 min 22% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±5.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #32 of 133 in ME | #124 of 133 in ME | #36 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 87/MSAD 23 | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | None in town | Gardiner Area High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
— | 11.8Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.