Compare towns
Dedham vs Topsham 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).
Topsham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.8%).
Belgrade has the most people working from home (20.4%).
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 | Topsham | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,656Lowest |
9,706Highest |
3,351 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
44.7±4Lowest about the ME average |
47.3±14.6Highest 6% above ME |
| Belgrade 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% |
19.9%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.6%±6.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Belgrade 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% |
24.4%±3.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±6.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Topsham 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% ME: 36.2% |
50%Highest ME: 36.2% |
49.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
5.7%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Belgrade and Topsham 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 |
$91,028±$10k 22% above ME |
$88,338±$13kLowest 18% above ME |
| Dedham and Topsham 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 |
$360,800±$20kHighest 22% above ME |
$312,200±$44kLowest 5% above ME |
| Topsham and Dedham 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 |
$1,355±$642 19% above ME |
$857±$108Lowest 25% below ME |
| Dedham and Topsham 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 |
$4,259Highest 40% above ME |
$2,859Lowest 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
40.3%±12.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
17.2%±35.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Topsham and Belgrade 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% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.2%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
20.4%±8.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Belgrade and Topsham 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 | — | #66 of 133 in ME | #71 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | None in town | Mt Ararat High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.2 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.