Compare towns
Brewer vs Lubec vs Bangor
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brewer has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2%).
Lubec has the most people working from home (26.3%).
Bangor has the most renters (52.8% rent).
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 | Lubec | Bangor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652 |
1,346Lowest |
31,938Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
59.3±4.5Highest 32% above ME |
41±1.3 8% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±1.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
41.2%±3.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.9%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35% ME: 36.2% |
32.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
35.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
6.2%±4.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Bangor 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±$9kHighest 11% below ME |
$52,375±$11kLowest 30% below ME |
$59,942±$7k 20% below ME |
| Brewer and Bangor 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 |
$188,700±$26kLowest 36% below ME |
$219,600±$10k 26% below ME |
| Brewer and Bangor 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 |
$550±$204Lowest 52% below ME |
$1,055±$43 7% below ME |
| Brewer and Bangor 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 |
$2,039Lowest 33% below ME |
$3,076 about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
40.6%±25.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.5%±6.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
14.7% ME: 10.7% |
17.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7% ME: 74.3% |
78.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959 18 yrs older than ME |
1960Highest 17 yrs older than ME |
1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 min 31% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
17 minLowest 33% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
26.3%±12.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±2.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #32 of 133 in ME | — | #37 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 85/MSAD 19 | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | None in town | Bangor High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
— | 13.3Lowest |
| 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.