Compare towns
Dedham vs Hope vs Wayne vs Belgrade
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).
Hope has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.5%).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Belgrade has the most affordable homes ($312k median).
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 | Hope | Wayne | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,656 |
1,748 |
1,101Lowest |
3,351Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2% ME: +2.6% |
+10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+1.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
44.6±3.1Lowest about the ME average |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
47.3±14.6 6% above ME |
| Wayne and Belgrade 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% |
23.3%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.6%±6.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Hope 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% |
21.1%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±6.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Wayne and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
47.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
48.8% ME: 36.2% |
49.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.7%±3.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Wayne and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$86,766±$6kLowest 16% above ME |
$93,194±$26k 25% above ME |
$88,338±$13k 18% above ME |
| Dedham and Wayne 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 |
$373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME |
$362,800±$29k 22% above ME |
$312,200±$44kLowest 5% above ME |
| Hope and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
$1,219±$182 7% above ME |
$983±$554 14% below ME |
$857±$108Lowest 25% below ME |
| Dedham and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,942Highest 30% above ME |
$3,842 27% above ME |
$3,289 8% above ME |
$2,859Lowest 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
37.8%±38.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1 ME: 48.4% |
17.2%±35.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Hope and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3% ME: 10.7% |
7.9% ME: 10.7% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
92.9% ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 22% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
20.4%±8.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne and Belgrade 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 | — | — | — | #71 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Hope Public Schools | RSU 38 | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.