Compare towns
Durham vs Waterville vs Sidney
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Durham has the most people working from home (20.9%).
Waterville has the most renters (51.2% rent).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
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 | Durham | Waterville | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,262Lowest |
17,077Highest |
4,790 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.4% ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42.6±5.9 5% below ME |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
43±5.5Highest 4% below ME |
| Sidney and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.7%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.6%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5 ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Sidney and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
33.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±3.1 ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $99,181±$5kHighest 33% above ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
$83,488±$10k 12% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $322,200±$34k 9% above ME |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
| Sidney and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $978±$72Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
| Sidney and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,781Highest 25% above ME |
$2,755 9% below ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 25%±40.9 ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Waterville and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 13% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 20.9%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6 ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Durham and Waterville 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 | #14 of 133 in ME | #105 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 05 | Waterville Public Schools | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | None in town | Waterville Senior High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8 |
— |
| 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.