Compare towns
Brooks vs Beals vs Newburgh
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brooks has the most affordable homes ($197k median).
Beals has the most people working from home (17.6%).
Newburgh has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.8%).
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 | Brooks | Beals | Newburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,208 |
498Lowest |
1,475Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3% ME: +2.6% |
-12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
48±15.6Highest 7% above ME |
45.8±5.7Lowest about the ME average |
| Beals and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±6.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Newburgh and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
29.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.8%±5.5 ME: 5.8% |
4.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,130±$10kLowest 21% below ME |
$64,063±$14k 14% below ME |
$76,750±$10kHighest about the ME average |
| Newburgh and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $196,700±$33kLowest 34% below ME |
$256,700±$45kHighest 13% below ME |
$244,600±$20k 18% below ME |
| Beals and Newburgh are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,116±$112Highest about the ME average |
$907±$378Lowest 20% below ME |
$950±$219 17% below ME |
| Brooks and Newburgh are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,096Lowest 31% below ME |
$2,580 15% below ME |
$2,748Highest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3 ME: 48.4% |
7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±13.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Newburgh and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
11.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
83.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
21 minLowest 17% below ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
17.6%±10.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.4%±3.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Beals and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | Beals Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| 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.