Compare towns
Brunswick vs Kennebunk vs Brewer
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 youngest population (median age 40).
Kennebunk has the most people working from home (36.6%).
Brewer has the most affordable homes ($245k median).
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 | Kennebunk | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,336Highest |
6,221Lowest |
9,652 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.3% ME: +2.6% |
+10.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
54.3±7.2Highest 21% above ME |
40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brewer and Kennebunk 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% |
30.9%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
52% ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $74,952±$6k about the ME average |
$95,169±$21kHighest 27% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
| Kennebunk 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±$15k 27% above ME |
$452,800±$17kHighest 53% above ME |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,466±$261 29% above ME |
$1,086±$54Lowest 5% below ME |
| Brunswick and Kennebunk 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 |
$4,771Highest 57% above ME |
$3,374Lowest 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±13.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Brewer 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% |
11.2% ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.2% ME: 74.3% |
73.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minHighest 5% below ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
36.6%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #30 of 133 in ME | #9 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | — | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Brunswick High School | — | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.9Lowest |
— | 14.0Highest |
| 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.