Compare towns
Brooks vs Epping vs Pittston vs Waldo
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brooks has the most renters (25.4% rent).
Epping has the most expensive homes ($437k median).
Pittston has the oldest housing (typical home built 1983).
Waldo has the shortest commute (20 min average).
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 | Epping | Pittston | Waldo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,208 |
7,430Highest |
3,093 |
926Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+11.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6Highest 18% above U.S. |
45.1±3.5 16% above U.S. |
41.4±5.9 6% above U.S. |
37.5±9.6Lowest 4% below U.S. |
| Brooks and Epping are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±4.8 U.S.: 22% |
17.2%±7.4 U.S.: 22% |
20.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Waldo and Epping are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17%±3.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
22.6%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.5%±6.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Epping and Pittston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
37%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
26.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±3.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±4.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.8%±1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Brooks and Pittston 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 27% below U.S. |
$104,220±$7kHighest 29% above U.S. |
$86,614±$18k 7% above U.S. |
$71,458±$21k 11% below U.S. |
| Epping and Pittston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $196,700±$33kLowest 41% below U.S. |
$436,900±$35kHighest 31% above U.S. |
$238,700±$66k 28% below U.S. |
$208,000±$41k 37% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,116±$112 21% below U.S. |
$1,742±$576Highest 23% above U.S. |
$1,080±$593Lowest 24% below U.S. |
$1,150±$691 19% below U.S. |
| Epping and Waldo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,096 33% below U.S. |
$6,936Highest 122% above U.S. |
$1,909 39% below U.S. |
$1,623Lowest 48% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
67.8%±25.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
57.6%±34.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
74.1%±36.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Waldo and Epping are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 19.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
10.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
81% U.S.: 65.2% |
84.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
1989Highest 9 yrs newer than U.S. |
1983Lowest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1988 8 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min 5% below U.S. |
32 minHighest 22% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
20 minLowest 25% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
24%±6.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
3.8%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
15.6%±4.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Epping and Waldo 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 | — | #77 of 120 in NH | #123 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | Epping School District | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | Waldo-Region 7 |
| High school in town | None in town | Epping High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.3 |
— | — |
| 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.