Compare towns
Brewer vs Windham vs Ellsworth
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).
Windham has the most people working from home (19%).
Ellsworth has the oldest population (median age 43).
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 | Windham | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652 |
19,188Highest |
8,657Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
43±2.4Highest 4% below ME |
| Ellsworth and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Brewer and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Ellsworth 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 |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
| Windham and Ellsworth 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 |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,232±$332Highest 8% above ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
| Windham and Brewer 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 |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
26 minHighest 7% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #32 of 133 in ME | #95 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 14 | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | Windham High School | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
12.1Lowest |
12.7 |
| 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.