Compare towns
Dedham vs Wayne 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 most kids (23.8% under 18).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
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 | Wayne | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,656 |
1,101Lowest |
8,657Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2% ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest 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% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Wayne and Ellsworth 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% |
48.8% ME: 36.2% |
39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Wayne and Ellsworth 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 |
$93,194±$26k 25% above ME |
$77,375±$18kLowest 4% 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 |
$362,800±$29kHighest 22% above ME |
$242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
| Wayne 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 |
$983±$554Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,017±$195 11% below ME |
| Dedham and Ellsworth 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 |
$3,289 8% above ME |
$3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1 ME: 48.4% |
62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9% ME: 10.7% |
7.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 22% above ME |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | #63 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 38 | Ellsworth Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Ellsworth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.7 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.