Compare towns
Brewer vs Sidney vs Old Town
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).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
Old Town has the most people working from home (21.4%).
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 | Old Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
4,790Lowest |
7,470 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-5.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
43±5.5Highest 4% below ME |
37±1.5Lowest 17% below ME |
| Sidney and Brewer 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%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
21.8%±4.1 ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Old Town 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% |
16.9%±3.5Lowest 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% |
36.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.2%±6.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Old Town and Brewer 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 |
$83,488±$10kHighest 12% above ME |
$51,585±$10kLowest 31% below ME |
| Sidney 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±$21k 17% below ME |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
$208,100±$26kLowest 30% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
$989±$100Lowest 13% below ME |
| Sidney and Brewer 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 |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
$3,153 4% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±15 ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Old Town 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% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
21.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1963 14 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
20 min 18% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
21.4%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Old Town 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 | #56 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 18 | RSU 34 |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | None in town | Old Town High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
— | 12.8Lowest |
| 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.