What stands out worked out from the figures below

Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).

Plaistow has the most people working from home (13.6%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Brewer	Plaistow
People
Population	9,652Highest	7,861Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	40.1±4.8 3% above U.S.	40.1±3.7 3% above U.S.
Kids under 18	20.9%±4.3Highest U.S.: 22%	19.8%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Brewer and Plaistow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.4%±3.6Highest U.S.: 17.2%	17.4%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Brewer and Plaistow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	35%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	34.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	7.7%±2.9Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.3%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$66,613±$9kLowest 17% below U.S.	$108,317±$13kHighest 34% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$245,300±$21kLowest 26% below U.S.	$404,500±$32kHighest 22% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,086±$54Lowest 23% below U.S.	$1,664±$187Highest 18% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,374Lowest 8% above U.S.	$7,194Highest 131% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	55.7%±13.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	55.3%±16.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Brewer and Plaistow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	12.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	4.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	59.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	78.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S.	1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	17 minLowest 36% below U.S.	29 minHighest 8% above U.S.
Work from home	6.9%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	13.6%±4Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Plaistow 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	#66 of 120 in NH
School district	Brewer Public Schools	Timberlane Regional School District
High school in town	Brewer High School	Timberlane Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	14.0Highest	11.4Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.