Compare towns
Brewer vs Mount Chase 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).
Mount Chase has the most people working from home (22.2%).
Gardiner has the highest household income ($72k).
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 | Mount Chase | Gardiner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
280Lowest |
6,088 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— | +2.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
49.9±10.9Highest 11% above ME |
42±3.6 6% below ME |
| Mount Chase and Gardiner 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% |
22.1%±10.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mount Chase 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% |
28.9%±6.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.7%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Chase 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
32.1% ME: 36.2% |
29.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±5.7Lowest 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±$9k 11% below ME |
$41,711±$7kLowest 44% below ME |
$71,782±$10kHighest 4% below ME |
| Gardiner 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 |
$115,700±$15kLowest 61% below ME |
$221,600±$19k 25% below ME |
| Brewer and Gardiner 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 |
$1,281±$1kHighest 12% above ME |
$1,113±$191 about the ME average |
| Mount Chase 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 |
$1,548Lowest 49% below ME |
$2,742 10% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
28.6%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.6%±13.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Gardiner 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% |
30.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
68.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959 18 yrs older than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1944Lowest 33 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.2%±12.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Chase and Gardiner 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 | — | #36 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | — | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | — | 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.