Compare towns
Brewer vs Limestone vs Ellsworth
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).
Limestone has the most people working from home (14.5%).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
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 | Limestone | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
1,579Lowest |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% ME: +2.6% |
-34.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
45.3±4.9Highest about the ME average |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
| Limestone and Ellsworth 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% |
20.7%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Limestone 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% |
21.7%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3 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% |
20.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
39.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
9.5%±4.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Limestone and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
$49,938±$8kLowest 33% below ME |
$77,375±$18kHighest 4% above ME |
| Ellsworth and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,300±$21kHighest 17% below ME |
$98,400±$18kLowest 67% below ME |
$242,300±$22k 18% below ME |
| Brewer and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54Highest 5% below ME |
$754±$233Lowest 34% below ME |
$1,017±$195 11% below ME |
| Brewer and Ellsworth 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 |
$1,332Lowest 56% below ME |
$3,262 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
32%±12.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest 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% ME: 10.7% |
16.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
61.2% ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
19 min 24% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±5.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Limestone and Ellsworth 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 |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics · Limestone Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
8.6Lowest |
12.7 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 5 photos → |
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.