What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bristol has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.9%).

Phippsburg has the most affordable homes ($336k median).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Bristol	Phippsburg
People
Population	2,917Highest	2,238Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2.9%Highest ME: +2.6%	-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6%
Median age	61±3.2Highest 36% above ME	54.3±6.3Lowest 21% above ME
	Bristol and Phippsburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	13.9%±4.5Highest ME: 18.1%	11.5%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1%
	Bristol and Phippsburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	42.8%±8.1Highest ME: 22.4%	34.4%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4%
	Bristol and Phippsburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	52.7%Highest ME: 36.2%	37.7%Lowest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.4%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8%	2.3%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8%
	Phippsburg and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$100,750±$19kLowest 35% above ME	$107,833±$19kHighest 44% above ME
	Phippsburg and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$406,400±$54kHighest 37% above ME	$335,800±$47kLowest 13% above ME
	Bristol and Phippsburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,051±$106Highest 8% below ME	$1,022±$346Lowest 10% below ME
	Bristol and Phippsburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,668Highest 12% below ME	$2,034Lowest 33% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	23.4%±19.2Lowest ME: 48.4%	35.5%±98.7Highest ME: 48.4%
	Phippsburg and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7%	7.5%Highest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.6%Highest ME: 74.3%	81.8%Lowest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1968Lowest 9 yrs older than ME	1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	18 minLowest 28% below ME	21 minHighest 13% below ME
Work from home	25%±8.3Highest ME: 15.9%	11.7%±4.7Lowest ME: 15.9%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#16 of 133 in ME	—
School district	Bristol Public Schools	RSU 01 - LKRSU
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.