Compare towns
Dover-Foxcroft vs Union vs Gardiner
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 shortest commute (15 min average).
Union has the most homeowners (85.9%).
Gardiner has the oldest housing (typical home built 1944).
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 | Union | Gardiner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,506 |
2,663Lowest |
6,088Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5% ME: +2.6% |
+5.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 38±4.1Lowest 15% below ME |
41.6±5.3 7% below ME |
42±3.6Highest 6% below ME |
| Gardiner and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.2%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
24.9%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Union and Dover-Foxcroft are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.4%±4.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.7%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 28.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
29.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±1.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Gardiner and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $63,344±$6kLowest 15% below ME |
$80,724±$9kHighest 8% above ME |
$71,782±$10k 4% below ME |
| Union and Gardiner 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 |
$267,600±$42kHighest 10% below ME |
$221,600±$19k 25% below ME |
| Union and Gardiner 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 |
$1,179±$452Highest 4% above ME |
$1,113±$191 about the ME average |
| Union and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,916Lowest 37% below ME |
$3,276Highest 8% above ME |
$2,742 10% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.3%±16.2 ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.6%±13.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gardiner and Dover-Foxcroft 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% |
10.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
68.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973 4 yrs older than ME |
1979Highest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1944Lowest 33 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 15 minLowest 40% below ME |
29 min 20% above ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.6%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Union and Gardiner 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 | — | #36 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 68/MSAD 68 | RSU 40/MSAD 40 | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Gardiner Area High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.8 |
| 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.