Compare towns
Brunswick vs Hope vs Gorham
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 renters (28.8% rent).
Hope has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Gorham has the highest household income ($112k).
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 | Hope | Gorham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,336Highest |
1,748Lowest |
18,300 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.5% ME: +2.6% |
+11.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40±2.8 11% below ME |
44.6±3.1Highest about the ME average |
39.4±2.9Lowest 12% below ME |
| Hope and Brunswick 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% |
23.3%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Hope and Gorham 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% |
21.1%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
17.5%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Brunswick and Hope 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% |
47.4% ME: 36.2% |
44.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.1%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Brunswick and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $74,952±$6kLowest about the ME average |
$86,766±$6k 16% above ME |
$112,312±$6kHighest 50% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $376,300±$15k 27% above ME |
$373,400±$33kLowest 26% above ME |
$460,900±$26kHighest 55% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,469±$99 29% above ME |
$1,219±$182Lowest 7% above ME |
$1,680±$355Highest 47% above ME |
| Gorham and Brunswick 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 |
$3,842Lowest 27% above ME |
$4,825Highest 59% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.8%±38.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
37.9%±8.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 7.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.5% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 5% below ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
27 minHighest 10% above ME |
| Work from home | 19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
| Brunswick and Gorham 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 | — | #24 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | Hope Public Schools | Gorham Public Schools |
| High school in town | Brunswick High School | None in town | Gorham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.9Lowest |
— | 12.9Highest |
| 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.