Compare towns
Dedham vs Windham vs Hope 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).
Windham has the most renters (15.4% rent).
Hope has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.5%).
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 | Windham | Hope | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,656Lowest |
19,188Highest |
1,748 |
3,351 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.4% ME: +2.6% |
+10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
44.6±3.1 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% |
19.2%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±5.4 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%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21.1%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±6.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Belgrade and Hope 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% |
44.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
47.4% ME: 36.2% |
49.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.7%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Belgrade and Windham 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 |
$107,934±$14k 44% above ME |
$86,766±$6kLowest 16% above ME |
$88,338±$13k 18% above ME |
| Dedham and Windham 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 |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$373,400±$33k 26% above ME |
$312,200±$44kLowest 5% above ME |
| Windham and Hope 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 |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
$1,219±$182 7% above ME |
$857±$108Lowest 25% below ME |
| Dedham and Windham 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 |
$3,938 30% above ME |
$3,842 27% above ME |
$2,859Lowest 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
37.8%±38.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
17.2%±35.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Hope and Windham 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% |
3.4% ME: 10.7% |
5.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.9% ME: 74.3% |
93.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
20.4%±8.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Belgrade and Windham 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 | — | #95 of 133 in ME | — | #71 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 14 | Hope Public Schools | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | None in town | Windham High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.1 |
— | — |
| 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.