Compare towns
Carmel vs Waterville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Carmel has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.6%).
Waterville has the most people working from home (16.6%).
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 | Carmel | Waterville |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 2,941Lowest |
17,077Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.4±4.5Highest 4% above ME |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 18.6%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Carmel and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 16.5%±5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Waterville and Carmel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 17.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
30.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.9%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $82,188±$22kHighest 10% above ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,800±$37kHighest 13% below ME |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,276±$187Highest 12% above ME |
$978±$72Lowest 14% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,662Lowest 12% below ME |
$2,755Highest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±38.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Carmel and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 13.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minHighest about the ME average |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.5%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #77 of 133 in ME | #105 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 87/MSAD 23 | Waterville Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Waterville Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8 |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.