Compare towns
Bridgewater vs Millinocket vs Ripley
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bridgewater has the most people working from home (7.5%).
Millinocket has the most affordable homes ($100k median).
Ripley has the most renters (19% rent).
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 | Bridgewater | Millinocket | Ripley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 484 |
3,779Highest |
436Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-8.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 48.8±8 9% above ME |
57.5±7.3Highest 28% above ME |
47.7±5.3Lowest 6% above ME |
| Millinocket and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
12.1%±6.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±6.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Bridgewater and Ripley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.5%±2.8 ME: 22.4% |
39.4%±8.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.7%±4.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 18.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
19.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
19.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.3%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±6 ME: 5.8% |
| Millinocket and Ripley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,417±$15kHighest 12% below ME |
$50,445±$11kLowest 32% below ME |
$64,821±$13k 13% below ME |
| Bridgewater and Ripley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $154,900±$78kHighest 48% below ME |
$99,800±$24kLowest 66% below ME |
$144,300±$33k 51% below ME |
| Bridgewater and Ripley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $768±$116 33% below ME |
$451±$130Lowest 60% below ME |
$1,091±$281Highest 4% below ME |
| Ripley and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,417 53% below ME |
$1,538Highest 49% below ME |
$1,270Lowest 58% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.9%±59.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
20.5%±11 ME: 48.4% |
11.5%±73.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bridgewater and Millinocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12% ME: 10.7% |
18.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
11.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
83.5% ME: 74.3% |
81%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971 6 yrs older than ME |
1956Lowest 21 yrs older than ME |
1978Highest 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 10% below ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
32 minHighest 28% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.5%±5.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
1.7%±3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
6.5%±6.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Bridgewater and Ripley 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 | — | #98 of 133 in ME | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.