Compare towns
Fairfield vs Smithfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Fairfield has the most kids (19.8% under 18).
Smithfield has the most people working from home (22%).
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 | Fairfield | Smithfield |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 6,519Highest |
856Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-10.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.1±4Lowest 4% below ME |
55.8±3.5Highest 25% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19.8%±3.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
10%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 17.7%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.7%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Fairfield and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $64,101±$11kLowest 14% below ME |
$107,917±$27kHighest 44% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $164,300±$28kLowest 45% below ME |
$242,800±$15kHighest 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,001±$101Lowest 12% below ME |
$1,109±$358Highest about the ME average |
| Smithfield and Fairfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,217Lowest 27% below ME |
$2,866Highest 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.9%±12.7 ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±45.2 ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 10.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Lowest 2 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
33 minHighest 32% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.1%±5.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Smithfield and Fairfield 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 | #47 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 49/MSAD 49 · Maine Academy of Natural Sciences | — |
| High school in town | Lawrence High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.