Compare towns
Brooks vs Beals vs Waldo
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 renters (25.4% rent).
Beals has the most expensive homes ($257k median).
Waldo has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.3%).
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 | Waldo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,208Highest |
498Lowest |
926 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3% ME: +2.6% |
-12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
48±15.6Highest 7% above ME |
37.5±9.6Lowest 16% below ME |
| 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% |
20.2%±4.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Waldo and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
36.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.8%±5.5 ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1Lowest 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 |
$71,458±$21kHighest 4% below ME |
| Waldo 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 |
$208,000±$41k 30% below ME |
| Beals and Waldo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,116±$112 about the ME average |
$907±$378Lowest 20% below ME |
$1,150±$691Highest about the ME average |
| Waldo and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,096 31% below ME |
$2,580Highest 15% below ME |
$1,623Lowest 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3 ME: 48.4% |
7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.8% ME: 10.7% |
10.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
83.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minHighest about the ME average |
21 min 17% below ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.6%±10.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Beals and Waldo 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 | Waldo-Region 7 |
| High school in town | None 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.