Compare towns
Brooks vs Sumner 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).
Sumner has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.9%).
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 | Sumner | Waldo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,208Highest |
845Lowest |
926 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
56.1±8.4Highest 25% above ME |
37.5±9.6Lowest 16% below ME |
| Sumner and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±6.9 ME: 18.1% |
20.2%±4.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Waldo and Sumner 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% |
29.7%±5.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5% ME: 36.2% |
15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
36.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,130±$10k 21% below ME |
$57,750±$19kLowest 23% below ME |
$71,458±$21kHighest 4% below ME |
| Waldo and Brooks 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 |
$150,000±$73kLowest 49% 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±$112Lowest about the ME average |
— | $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 |
$2,167Highest 29% below ME |
$1,623Lowest 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Sumner and Waldo 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% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
42 minHighest 72% above ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±8Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Sumner 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 | RSU 10 | 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.