Compare towns
Carmel vs Waterville vs Hermon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Carmel has the most homeowners (87.9%).
Waterville has the most people working from home (16.6%).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
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 | Hermon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,941Lowest |
17,077Highest |
6,727 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6% ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.4±4.5Highest 4% above ME |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
| Carmel and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.6%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.6%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hermon and Carmel 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%±2.5 ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Hermon and Waterville 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% ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.9%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $82,188±$22k 10% above ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
| Hermon and Carmel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,800±$37k 13% below ME |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
$333,600±$32kHighest 12% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,276±$187 12% above ME |
$978±$72Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
| Hermon and Carmel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,662Lowest 12% below ME |
$2,755 9% below ME |
$2,761Highest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±38.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7 ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1Lowest 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% ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
75.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1996 19 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minHighest about the ME average |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.5%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Waterville and Hermon 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 | #77 of 133 in ME | #105 of 133 in ME | #54 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 87/MSAD 23 | Waterville Public Schools | Hermon Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Waterville Senior High School | Hermon High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8Lowest |
14.6Highest |
| 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.