Compare towns
Bridgewater vs Fairlee vs Gorham vs Braintree
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bridgewater has the most homeowners (85.4%).
Fairlee has the oldest housing (typical home built 1972).
Gorham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.9%).
Braintree has the oldest population (median age 58.4).
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 | Bridgewater | Fairlee | Gorham | Braintree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 980Lowest |
1,066 |
18,300Highest |
1,026 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+11.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 57.1±8 47% above U.S. |
56.2±8.7 44% above U.S. |
39.4±2.9Lowest about the U.S. average |
58.4±2.4Highest 50% above U.S. |
| Braintree and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 12.8%±5.8 U.S.: 22% |
12.2%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.9%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.3%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Gorham and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 30.2%±0.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
33.4%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.5%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
33.2%±3.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Fairlee and Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
46.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
30.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±3.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±3.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
13.1%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.8%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $70,272±$3kLowest 13% below U.S. |
$74,760±$10k 7% below U.S. |
$112,312±$6kHighest 39% above U.S. |
$79,803±$5k about the U.S. average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $218,300±$55k 34% below U.S. |
$274,200±$39k 18% below U.S. |
$460,900±$26kHighest 39% above U.S. |
$217,700±$28kLowest 35% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $850±$778 40% below U.S. |
$1,083±$242 23% below U.S. |
$1,680±$355Highest 19% above U.S. |
$840±$405Lowest 41% below U.S. |
| Gorham and Fairlee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,418Lowest 10% above U.S. |
$5,617Highest 80% above U.S. |
$4,825 55% above U.S. |
$3,908 25% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59.7%±39.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
89.2%±71.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
37.9%±8.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
43.4%±29.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Fairlee and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 14.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
14.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
80.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
81.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
81% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1972Lowest 8 yrs older than U.S. |
1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 9% below U.S. |
24 min 8% below U.S. |
27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
26 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 10.5%±6.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
15%±7.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
19%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
19%±7.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | #24 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | Rivendell Interstate School District | Gorham Public Schools | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Gorham High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.9 |
— |
| 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.