Compare towns
Brooks vs Wayne 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).
Wayne has the most expensive homes ($363k 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 | Wayne | Waldo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,208Highest |
1,101 |
926Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-5% ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
37.5±9.6Lowest 16% below ME |
| Wayne 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% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest 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% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
36.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Wayne 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 |
$93,194±$26kHighest 25% above ME |
$71,458±$21k 4% below ME |
| Wayne 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±$33kLowest 34% below ME |
$362,800±$29kHighest 22% above ME |
$208,000±$41k 30% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,116±$112 about the ME average |
$983±$554Lowest 14% 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 |
$3,289Highest 8% above ME |
$1,623Lowest 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1 ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Waldo and Wayne 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% |
7.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne 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 38 | 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.