Compare towns
Dedham vs Appleton vs Brunswick vs Ellsworth
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).
Appleton has the oldest population (median age 49.2).
Brunswick has the most people working from home (19.8%).
Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).
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 | Dedham | Appleton | Brunswick | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,656 |
1,360Lowest |
22,336Highest |
8,657 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.3% ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
43±2.4 4% below ME |
| Appleton and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
18.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
39.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$74,952±$6k about the ME average |
$77,375±$18k 4% above ME |
| Dedham and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,400±$33k 20% above ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
$242,300±$22k 18% below ME |
| Brunswick and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607 25% above ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
| Brunswick and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,942 30% above ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 9% ME: 10.7% |
9.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
71.2% ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 22% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
23 minLowest 5% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | #30 of 133 in ME | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Appleton Public Schools | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Brunswick High School | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.9Lowest |
12.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | 5 photos → |
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.