Compare towns
Brewer vs Mapleton vs Brunswick vs Veazie
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).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.3%).
Veazie has the oldest population (median age 46.7).
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 | Veazie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 9,652 |
1,884 |
22,336Highest |
1,847Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-5.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
46.7±4.6Highest 4% above ME |
| Veazie and Mapleton 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% |
17.2%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Brewer 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%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.9 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% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
46.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
8.8%±4.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Brunswick and Veazie 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 |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$74,952±$6k about the ME average |
$78,229±$10k 5% above ME |
| Mapleton and Veazie 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 |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
$293,100±$35k about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,095±$79 4% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374 11% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$4,073 34% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
55.3%±16.4 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
7.7% ME: 10.7% |
7.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
71.2% ME: 74.3% |
72.1% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
23 min 5% below ME |
18 min 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
12%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
| Brunswick and Veazie 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 | — |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | Veazie Public Schools |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | None in town | Brunswick High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
— | 10.9Lowest |
— |
| 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.