Compare towns
Brunswick vs Brewer vs Ellsworth
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brunswick has the most people working from home (19.8%).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
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 | Brunswick | Brewer | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,336Highest |
9,652 |
8,657Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.3% ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
43±2.4Highest 4% below ME |
| Ellsworth and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.9%±2.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Brunswick and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $74,952±$6k about the ME average |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$77,375±$18kHighest 4% above ME |
| Ellsworth and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±8.8 ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
66.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 5% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #30 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | Brewer Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | Brunswick High School | Brewer High School | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.9Lowest |
14.0Highest |
12.7 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.