Compare towns
Hampden vs South Eliot
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).
South Eliot has the most expensive homes ($476k median).
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 | South Eliot |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 7,896Highest |
4,203Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
55.5±8Highest 24% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.2%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 17.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
32.8%±6.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±2.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.2%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$99,299±$9kLowest 33% above ME |
| Hampden and South Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $301,300±$38kLowest about the ME average |
$475,600±$52kHighest 60% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,286±$317Lowest 13% above ME |
$2,155±$292Highest 89% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,694Lowest 22% above ME |
$4,442Highest 46% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 22.2%±15.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
64.3%±29.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| South Eliot and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 7.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1973Lowest 4 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minHighest 7% below ME |
21 minLowest 16% below ME |
| Work from home | 21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±4.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden and South Eliot 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 | #6 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 22 | — |
| High school in town | Hampden Academy | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.8 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.