Compare towns
Brewer vs Mapleton vs Brunswick vs Old Town
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).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
Old Town has the most people working from home (21.4%).
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 | Mapleton | Brunswick | Old Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 9,652 |
1,884Lowest |
17,652Highest |
7,470 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+12.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-5.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
41.8±6Highest 7% below ME |
37.9±2.2 15% below ME |
37±1.5Lowest 17% below ME |
| Mapleton and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.8%±4.1 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Old Town 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% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
23%±2.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
16.9%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Brunswick and Brewer 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% |
34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
51.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
36.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
15.4%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
13.2%±6.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Brunswick and Old Town 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 |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$70,722±$5k 5% below ME |
$51,585±$10kLowest 31% below ME |
| Mapleton and Brunswick 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 |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$363,200±$18kHighest 22% above ME |
$208,100±$26k 30% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,465±$100Highest 29% above ME |
$989±$100 13% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374 11% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$4,477Highest 47% above ME |
$3,153 4% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.8%±9.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±15 ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick 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% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
8.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
21.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.3% ME: 74.3% |
59.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
1963 14 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
20 min 18% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
18%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
21.4%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Old Town and Brunswick 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 | — | #30 of 133 in ME | #56 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — | RSU 34 |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | None in town | — | Old Town High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
— | — | 12.8Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.