Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Hope vs Readfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ellsworth has the most renters (33.3% rent).
Hope has the most kids (23.3% under 18).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
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 | Ellsworth | Hope | Readfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,657Highest |
1,748Lowest |
2,651 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5% ME: +2.6% |
+10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
0%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4Lowest 4% below ME |
44.6±3.1 about the ME average |
48.1±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
| Readfield and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.4%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Hope and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.1%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
21.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Readfield and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
47.4% ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Ellsworth and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,375±$18kLowest 4% above ME |
$86,766±$6kHighest 16% above ME |
$86,504±$8k 16% above ME |
| Hope and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $242,300±$22kLowest 18% below ME |
$373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME |
$326,400±$20k 10% above ME |
| Hope and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,017±$195Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,219±$182Highest 7% above ME |
$1,125±$844 about the ME average |
| Hope and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,262Lowest 7% above ME |
$3,842Highest 27% above ME |
$3,392 12% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.8%±38.7 ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3% ME: 10.7% |
5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
30 minHighest 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Hope 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 | #63 of 133 in ME | — | #20 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | Hope Public Schools | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | None in town | Maranacook Community High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Highest |
— | 11.5Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 5 photos → | 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.