Compare towns
Dedham vs Trenton vs Bucksport
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).
Trenton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7%).
Bucksport has the most affordable homes ($252k 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 | Trenton | Bucksport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,656 |
1,599Lowest |
5,016Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2Highest 4% above ME |
43.5±7.7 about the ME average |
42.7±12.2Lowest 5% below ME |
| Dedham and Trenton 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% |
20.1%±4.5 ME: 18.1% |
17.9%±5.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Trenton 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% |
25.5%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
26.6%±7.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bucksport and Trenton 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% |
42.3% ME: 36.2% |
27.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Trenton and Dedham 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 |
$60,455±$13kLowest 19% below ME |
$64,720±$21k 13% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,400±$33k 20% above ME |
$357,400±$36kHighest 20% above ME |
$252,300±$32kLowest 15% below ME |
| Trenton 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 |
$1,102±$241 3% below ME |
$882±$92Lowest 23% below ME |
| Dedham and Trenton 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 |
$2,310 24% below ME |
$2,021Lowest 33% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±20.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
48.9%±17 ME: 48.4% |
| Trenton and Bucksport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9% ME: 10.7% |
18.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
77.4% ME: 74.3% |
74.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1975Lowest 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
29 min 17% above ME |
28 minLowest 15% above ME |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.3%±4.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Trenton and Bucksport 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 | — | — | #68 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Trenton Public Schools | RSU 25 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Bucksport High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 13.1 |
| 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.