Compare towns
Brewer vs Sidney vs Hampden
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).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
Hampden has the most people working from home (21.3%).
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 | Sidney | Hampden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
4,790Lowest |
7,896 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
43±5.5Highest 4% below ME |
41±2.9 8% below ME |
| Sidney and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Brewer and Sidney 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% |
33.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
45.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Hampden 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 |
$83,488±$10k 12% above ME |
$111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
$301,300±$38k about the ME average |
| Sidney and Hampden 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 |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
$1,286±$317 13% above ME |
| Sidney and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374 11% above ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
$3,694Highest 22% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
23 min 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden and Sidney 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 | #15 of 133 in ME | #6 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 18 | RSU 22 |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | None in town | Hampden Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Lowest |
— | 14.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.