Compare towns
Brewer vs Ripton vs Windham vs Worcester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Ripton has the highest household income ($113k).
Worcester has the most people working from home (23.6%).
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.
| Measure | Brewer | Ripton | Windham | Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
508Lowest |
594 |
831 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+25.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | -3.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 3% above U.S. |
47.7±14.2Highest 23% above U.S. |
44.2±7.4 14% above U.S. |
47±2.7 21% above U.S. |
| Ripton and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.8%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
17.5%±7.9 U.S.: 22% |
12.8%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Brewer and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 22.4%±3.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
30.5%±7.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
23.2%±8.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.5%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ripton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
48% U.S.: 35.7% |
48.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
53%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
20.1%±6.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.8%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.9%±4.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $66,613±$9kLowest 17% below U.S. |
$112,917±$15kHighest 40% above U.S. |
$94,500±$12k 17% above U.S. |
$73,833±$18k 9% below U.S. |
| Ripton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,300±$21kLowest 26% below U.S. |
$394,400±$61kHighest 19% above U.S. |
$353,900±$20k 6% above U.S. |
$271,100±$27k 19% below U.S. |
| Ripton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54Highest 23% below U.S. |
— | — | $1,023±$136Lowest 28% below U.S. |
| Brewer and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374Lowest 8% above U.S. |
$4,915 58% above U.S. |
$5,951Highest 91% above U.S. |
$4,421 42% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.9%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
41.2%±94 U.S.: 51.1% |
25.5%±37Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Brewer and Ripton 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% |
8.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
85.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S. |
1973 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 36% below U.S. |
24 min 9% below U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
29 minHighest 9% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.2%±8.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
20.5%±5.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
23.6%±4.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Worcester and Windham 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 | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | — | Washington Central Unified Union School District #92 |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | None in town | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0 |
— | — | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 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.