Compare towns
Durham vs West Gardiner vs Lewiston
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%).
West Gardiner has the oldest population (median age 43.5).
Lewiston has the most renters (48.8% rent).
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 | West Gardiner | Lewiston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,262 |
3,696Lowest |
38,324Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+5.7% ME: +2.6% |
+1.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42.6±5.9 5% below ME |
43.5±2.8Highest about the ME average |
37.3±1.2Lowest 17% below ME |
| West Gardiner 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% |
18.9%±5.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.6%±1.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Lewiston 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% |
17.3%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±1.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Lewiston and West Gardiner 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% |
32.8% ME: 36.2% |
22.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±3.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
8.1%±5.1 ME: 5.8% |
10.1%±1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Lewiston and West Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $99,181±$5kHighest 33% above ME |
$96,172±$30k 29% above ME |
$55,393±$4kLowest 26% below ME |
| Durham and West Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $322,200±$34kHighest 9% above ME |
$305,100±$42k about the ME average |
$235,100±$8kLowest 21% below ME |
| Durham and West Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,087±$150Highest 5% below ME |
$986±$44Lowest 13% below ME |
| West Gardiner and Lewiston 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 |
$2,282Lowest 25% below ME |
$2,899 5% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 25%±40.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
57.1%±9.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
51.7%±5.9 ME: 48.4% |
| West Gardiner and Lewiston 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% |
9% ME: 10.7% |
20%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
88.7% ME: 74.3% |
51.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1957Lowest 20 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 13% above ME |
24 min about the ME average |
21 minLowest 15% below ME |
| Work from home | 20.9%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
13.8%±7.5 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Durham and West 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 | #14 of 133 in ME | #90 of 133 in ME | #132 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 05 | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | Lewiston Public Schools · Acadia Academy |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Lewiston High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 14.7 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.