Compare towns
Brooks vs Exeter 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).
Exeter has the highest household income ($84k).
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 | Exeter | Waldo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,208Highest |
1,093 |
926Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3% ME: +2.6% |
-11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
52.6±7.7Highest 17% above ME |
37.5±9.6Lowest 16% below ME |
| Exeter 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% |
9%±3.1Lowest 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% |
23.9%±11.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Exeter and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5% ME: 36.2% |
15%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
36.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Exeter 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 |
$84,408±$12kHighest 13% above ME |
$71,458±$21k 4% below ME |
| Exeter and Waldo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $196,700±$33k 34% below ME |
$166,700±$39kLowest 44% below ME |
$208,000±$41kHighest 30% below ME |
| Waldo and Brooks 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 |
$995±$386Lowest 13% 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 | $2,096Highest 31% below ME |
$1,602Lowest 47% below ME |
$1,623 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±73.8 ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Waldo and Exeter 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% |
8.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Lowest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
35 minHighest 43% above ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±5.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Waldo 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 | — | Waldo-Region 7 |
| 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.