Compare towns
Ellsworth vs Orono
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 kids (18.4% under 18).
Orono has the most people working from home (11.3%).
Orono is a college town. 56.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Orono |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 8,657Lowest |
11,902Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±2.4Highest 4% below ME |
21.8±0.3Lowest 51% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 18.4%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
6.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 22.1%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.4%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
66.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
56.1%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $77,375±$18kHighest 4% above ME |
$61,528±$5kLowest 18% below ME |
| Ellsworth and Orono 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 |
$272,600±$40kHighest 8% below ME |
| Orono and Ellsworth 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 |
$1,255±$112Highest 10% above ME |
| Orono and Ellsworth 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 |
$4,830Highest 59% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 62.1%±15.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
58.1%±10.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Ellsworth and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 9.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
24.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
46.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minHighest about the ME average |
15 minLowest 38% below ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.3%±3.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Orono and Ellsworth 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 | #26 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Ellsworth Public Schools | RSU 26 |
| High school in town | Ellsworth High School | Orono High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Highest |
10.7Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 5 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.