Compare towns
Hope vs Waldo vs Mount Vernon
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%).
Waldo has the most affordable homes ($208k median).
Mount Vernon has the most people working from home (28.3%).
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 | Waldo | Mount Vernon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,748Highest |
926Lowest |
1,716 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.6±3.1 about the ME average |
37.5±9.6Lowest 16% below ME |
47.1±6.2Highest 5% above 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% |
20.2%±4.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.7%±5.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Hope and Mount Vernon 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% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.5%±1.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
36.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
42.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1 ME: 5.8% |
1.6%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Hope and Waldo 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 |
$71,458±$21kLowest 4% below ME |
$74,395±$6k about the ME average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME |
$208,000±$41kLowest 30% below ME |
$264,200±$23k 11% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,219±$182Highest 7% above ME |
$1,150±$691 about the ME average |
$893±$168Lowest 22% below ME |
| Hope and Waldo 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 |
$1,623Lowest 47% below ME |
$2,832 7% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.8%±38.7 ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±36.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Waldo 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% |
10.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 19% below ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
28.3%±11.6Highest 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 | |||
| School district | Hope Public Schools | Waldo-Region 7 | RSU 38 |
| 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.