Compare towns
Hope vs Dedham vs Pownal
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hope has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.5%).
Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).
Pownal has the most people working from home (23.9%).
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 | Hope | Dedham | Pownal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,748Highest |
1,656Lowest |
1,696 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.6±3.1Lowest about the ME average |
46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
47.2±8.4Highest 5% above ME |
| Pownal and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±5.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.8%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Pownal and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.1%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.5%±2.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Pownal and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
49% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Pownal and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,766±$6kLowest 16% above ME |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$104,333±$14k 40% above ME |
| Dedham and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $373,400±$33k 26% above ME |
$356,400±$33kLowest 20% above ME |
$436,800±$32kHighest 47% above ME |
| Pownal and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,219±$182 7% above ME |
$1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
$981±$636Lowest 14% below ME |
| Dedham and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,842Lowest 27% above ME |
$3,942 30% above ME |
$5,212Highest 72% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.8%±38.7 ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
78.9%±22.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Pownal and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.9% ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 19% below ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
30 min 22% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
23.9%±5.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Pownal and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Hope Public Schools | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 05 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.