Compare towns
Brunswick vs Lewiston vs Topsham
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%).
Lewiston has the most affordable homes ($235k median).
Topsham has the highest household income ($91k).
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 | Lewiston | Topsham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,336 |
38,324Highest |
9,706Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.3% ME: +2.6% |
+1.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40±2.8 11% below ME |
37.3±1.2Lowest 17% below ME |
44.7±4Highest about the ME average |
| Topsham 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% |
20.6%±1.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Lewiston and Topsham 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% |
18.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±3.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Topsham 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% |
22.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
10.1%±1 ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $74,952±$6k about the ME average |
$55,393±$4kLowest 26% below ME |
$91,028±$10kHighest 22% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
$235,100±$8kLowest 21% below ME |
$360,800±$20k 22% above ME |
| Brunswick and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$986±$44Lowest 13% below ME |
$1,355±$642 19% above ME |
| Brunswick and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$2,899Lowest 5% below ME |
$4,259 40% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.7%±5.9 ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Lewiston 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% |
20%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.2% ME: 74.3% |
51.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
78.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1957Lowest 20 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 5% below ME |
21 minLowest 15% below ME |
24 minHighest 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Brunswick and Topsham 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 | #132 of 133 in ME | #66 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | Lewiston Public Schools · Acadia Academy | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | Brunswick High School | Lewiston High School | Mt Ararat High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.9Lowest |
14.7Highest |
12.2 |
| 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.