Compare towns
Hampden vs Orono
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hampden has the most kids (25.8% under 18).
Orono has the youngest population (median age 21.8).
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 | Hampden | Orono |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 7,896Lowest |
11,902Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±2.9Highest 8% below ME |
21.8±0.3Lowest 51% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
6.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 17.2%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.4%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
66.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
56.1%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$61,528±$5kLowest 18% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $301,300±$38kHighest about the ME average |
$272,600±$40kLowest 8% below ME |
| Hampden and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,286±$317Highest 13% above ME |
$1,255±$112Lowest 10% above ME |
| Hampden and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,694Lowest 22% above ME |
$4,830Highest 59% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.1%±10.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 7.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
24.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
46.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minHighest 7% below ME |
15 minLowest 38% below ME |
| Work from home | 21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.3%±3.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #6 of 133 in ME | #26 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 22 | RSU 26 |
| High school in town | Hampden Academy | Orono High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8Highest |
10.7Lowest |
| 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.