Compare towns
Brunswick vs Dedham vs Pownal
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 shortest commute (23 min average).
Dedham has the most homeowners (95.5%).
Pownal has the most people working from home (23.9%).
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 | Dedham | Pownal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,336Highest |
1,656Lowest |
1,696 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
47.2±8.4Highest 5% above ME |
| Pownal and Dedham 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% |
23.8%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Pownal and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.9%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.5%±2.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Pownal and Brunswick 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% |
49.5% ME: 36.2% |
49%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $74,952±$6kLowest about the ME average |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$104,333±$14k 40% above ME |
| Dedham and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $376,300±$15k 27% above ME |
$356,400±$33kLowest 20% above ME |
$436,800±$32kHighest 47% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,422±$607 25% above ME |
$981±$636Lowest 14% below ME |
| Brunswick and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,756 57% above ME |
$3,942Lowest 30% above ME |
$5,212Highest 72% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±8.8 ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
78.9%±22.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Pownal and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.7% ME: 10.7% |
9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 5% below ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
30 min 22% above ME |
| Work from home | 19.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
23.9%±5.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Pownal and Brunswick 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 | #30 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 05 |
| High school in town | Brunswick High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.9 |
— | — |
| 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.