Compare towns
Brunswick vs Lisbon 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%).
Lisbon has the most affordable homes ($258k 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 | Lisbon | Topsham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,336Highest |
9,750 |
9,706Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.8% ME: +2.6% |
+8.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40±2.8 11% below ME |
38.4±2.9Lowest 14% 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% |
22.2%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.9%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Lisbon 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% |
16.2%±3.2Lowest 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% |
23.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
50% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.3%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $74,952±$6kLowest about the ME average |
$77,819±$9k 4% above ME |
$91,028±$10kHighest 22% above ME |
| Topsham and Lisbon 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 |
$258,300±$26kLowest 13% 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 |
$979±$286Lowest 14% 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 |
$3,324Lowest 9% above ME |
$4,259 40% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
43.4%±14.2 ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
74.8% ME: 74.3% |
78.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1973Lowest 4 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 5% below ME |
29 minHighest 17% above ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
18.1%±9.6 ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Brunswick and Lisbon 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 | #60 of 133 in ME | #66 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | Lisbon Public Schools | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | Brunswick High School | Lisbon High School | Mt Ararat High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.9Lowest |
15.8Highest |
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.