Compare towns
Dedham vs Sutton vs Readfield vs Pownal
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dedham has the most homeowners (95.5%).
Sutton has the highest household income ($147k).
Readfield has the most affordable homes ($326k median).
Pownal has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.2%).
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 | Sutton | Readfield | Pownal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,656Lowest |
9,452Highest |
2,651 |
1,696 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
0% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2 20% above U.S. |
44.3±2.5Lowest 14% above U.S. |
48.1±7.6Highest 24% above U.S. |
47.2±8.4 21% above U.S. |
| Readfield and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.8%±3.6 U.S.: 22% |
19.6%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
24.2%±4.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Pownal and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.8%±3.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
22.3%±4.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
23.5%±2.6Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Pownal and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
52.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
48.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
49% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.3%±2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.2%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Pownal and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $111,442±$18k 38% above U.S. |
$147,125±$25kHighest 82% above U.S. |
$86,504±$8kLowest 7% above U.S. |
$104,333±$14k 29% above U.S. |
| Sutton and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,400±$33k 7% above U.S. |
$523,100±$47kHighest 57% above U.S. |
$326,400±$20kLowest about the U.S. average |
$436,800±$32k 31% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,190±$401 16% below U.S. |
$1,125±$844 20% below U.S. |
$981±$636Lowest 31% below U.S. |
| Dedham and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,942 26% above U.S. |
$6,763Highest 117% above U.S. |
$3,392Lowest 9% above U.S. |
$5,212 67% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
47.5%±24.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
31.3%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
78.9%±22.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Pownal and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
89.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
89.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
89.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 14% above U.S. |
30 minLowest 12% above U.S. |
30 minLowest 12% above U.S. |
30 min 14% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
24.3%±14.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.9%±5.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Readfield and Pownal 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 | — | #105 of 282 in MA | #20 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Sutton | RSU 38 | RSU 05 |
| High school in town | None in town | Sutton High School | Maranacook Community High Sch | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.6Highest |
11.5Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.