Compare towns
Hope vs Mount Vernon vs Sidney
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hope has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Mount Vernon has the most people working from home (28.3%).
Sidney has the youngest population (median age 43).
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 | Mount Vernon | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,748 |
1,716Lowest |
4,790Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.6±3.1 about the ME average |
47.1±6.2Highest 5% above ME |
43±5.5Lowest 4% below ME |
| Mount Vernon and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.7%±5.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Hope and Sidney 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% |
26.5%±1.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
42.3% ME: 36.2% |
33.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.6%±1 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Hope and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,766±$6kHighest 16% above ME |
$74,395±$6kLowest about the ME average |
$83,488±$10k 12% above ME |
| Hope and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME |
$264,200±$23kLowest 11% below ME |
$336,200±$34k 13% above ME |
| Hope and Sidney 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 |
$893±$168Lowest 22% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
| Sidney and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,842Highest 27% above ME |
$2,832 7% below ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.8%±38.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±36.9 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Hope and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.3% ME: 10.7% |
4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.8% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991 14 yrs newer than ME |
1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 19% below ME |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
28.3%±11.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Vernon and Hope 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 | — | — | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Hope Public Schools | RSU 38 | RSU 18 |
| 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.