Compare towns
Buxton vs Dedham vs Poland
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Buxton has the most renters (19.7% rent).
Dedham has the most homeowners (95.5%).
Poland has the most people working from home (21.9%).
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 | Buxton | Dedham | Poland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,512Highest |
1,656Lowest |
5,954 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.3% ME: +2.6% |
-2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.5±3.9 about the ME average |
46.5±2.2Highest 4% above ME |
44.2±9.4Lowest about the ME average |
| Dedham and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Poland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.2%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
17.8%±4.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Buxton and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.3% ME: 36.2% |
49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
23.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±1.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $100,144±$21k 34% above ME |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$85,557±$23kLowest 14% above ME |
| Dedham and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,800±$21kHighest 20% above ME |
$356,400±$33k 20% above ME |
$283,600±$44kLowest 4% below ME |
| Buxton and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,613±$266Highest 42% above ME |
$1,422±$607 25% above ME |
$1,198±$128Lowest 5% above ME |
| Buxton and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,422 13% above ME |
$3,942Highest 30% above ME |
$2,774Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 26.9%±26.5 ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
61.6%±30.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Poland and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9% ME: 10.7% |
16.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 34 minHighest 39% above ME |
30 min 22% above ME |
28 minLowest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.8%±3.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±10.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Poland and Dedham 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 | #104 of 133 in ME | — | #81 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 06/MSAD 06 | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 16 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Poland Regional H S |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.2 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.