Compare towns
Hope vs Rumford vs Readfield
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%).
Rumford has the most affordable homes ($128k median).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
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 | Rumford | Readfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,748Lowest |
5,942Highest |
2,651 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.3% ME: +2.6% |
0%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.6±3.1Lowest about the ME average |
50.4±3.4Highest 13% above ME |
48.1±7.6 7% above ME |
| Rumford and Readfield 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% |
18.1%±4.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Hope and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.2%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Rumford and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.4% ME: 36.2% |
18.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Rumford and Readfield 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 |
$38,403±$6kLowest 49% below ME |
$86,504±$8k 16% above ME |
| Hope and Readfield 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 |
$127,700±$21kLowest 57% below ME |
$326,400±$20k 10% above ME |
| Hope and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,219±$182Highest 7% above ME |
$803±$81Lowest 29% below ME |
$1,125±$844 about the ME average |
| Hope and Readfield 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 |
$1,988Lowest 35% below ME |
$3,392 12% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.8%±38.7 ME: 48.4% |
59.1%±11.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Rumford and Hope 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% |
22.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
63.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1947Lowest 30 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 19% below ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
30 minHighest 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
6.6%±5.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield 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 | — | #126 of 133 in ME | #20 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Hope Public Schools | RSU 10 | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | None in town | Mountain Valley High School | Maranacook Community High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.4Lowest |
11.5Highest |
| 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.