Compare towns
Dover-Foxcroft vs Brewer vs Bowerbank
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dover-Foxcroft has the most affordable homes ($163k median).
Brewer has the most expensive homes ($245k median).
Bowerbank has the most people working from home (30.5%).
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 | Dover-Foxcroft | Brewer | Bowerbank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,506 |
9,652Highest |
211Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 38±4.1Lowest 15% below ME |
40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
58.3±17.3Highest 30% above ME |
| Bowerbank and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.2%±3.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
6.6%±10.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Dover-Foxcroft and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.4%±4.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
33.6%±20.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bowerbank and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 28.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
35%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±0.9 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
0%±7.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $63,344±$6kLowest 15% below ME |
$66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
$93,125±$30kHighest 25% above ME |
| Bowerbank and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $162,600±$12kLowest 45% below ME |
$245,300±$21kHighest 17% below ME |
$199,500±$125k 33% below ME |
| Brewer and Bowerbank are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $880±$97Lowest 23% below ME |
$1,086±$54Highest 5% below ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,916 37% below ME |
$3,374Highest 11% above ME |
$1,118Lowest 63% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.3%±16.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Bowerbank and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 15.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67% ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973 4 yrs older than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 15 minLowest 40% below ME |
17 min 31% below ME |
48 minHighest 93% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.6%±6 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
30.5%±29.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Bowerbank and Dover-Foxcroft 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 | #89 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 68/MSAD 68 | Brewer Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Brewer High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.0 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 6 photos → | 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.