Compare towns
Brewer vs Patten
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%).
Patten has the most people working from home (28.7%).
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 | Patten |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
1,154Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-13.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
57.8±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.3%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 22.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
38.5%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $66,613±$9kHighest 11% below ME |
$51,484±$6kLowest 31% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,300±$21kHighest 17% below ME |
$127,600±$49kLowest 57% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54Highest 5% below ME |
$389±$99Lowest 66% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374Highest 11% above ME |
$1,199Lowest 61% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56%±64.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Patten and Brewer 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% |
23.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1966Highest 11 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
28.7%±19.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Patten and Brewer 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 | — |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.