Compare towns
Howland vs Sumner vs Brownville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Howland has the most kids (22% under 18).
Sumner has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Brownville has the most affordable homes ($97k 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 | Howland | Sumner | Brownville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,367Highest |
845Lowest |
983 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-8.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.6±10.2 6% above ME |
56.1±8.4Highest 25% above ME |
46.5±4.6Lowest 4% above ME |
| Sumner and Howland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22%±5.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±6.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±6.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Howland and Brownville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.8%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.7%±5.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
28.1%±5.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Sumner and Brownville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 12%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
15.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
13.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.1%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±3.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brownville and Howland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $49,297±$21kLowest 34% below ME |
$57,750±$19k 23% below ME |
$64,063±$15kHighest 14% below ME |
| Brownville and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $150,100±$52kHighest 49% below ME |
$150,000±$73k 49% below ME |
$96,700±$22kLowest 67% below ME |
| Howland and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $916±$246Lowest 20% below ME |
— | $1,057±$120Highest 7% below ME |
| Brownville and Howland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,546 49% below ME |
$2,167Highest 29% below ME |
$1,250Lowest 59% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 29%±18.2 ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
26.2%±19.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Sumner and Howland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 25.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
18.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.9% ME: 74.3% |
91.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
77.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1970 7 yrs older than ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
1955Lowest 22 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minLowest 26% above ME |
42 minHighest 72% above ME |
37 min 49% above ME |
| Work from home | 0%±3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±8Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.8%±4.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Sumner and Brownville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 31/MSAD 31 | RSU 10 | RSU 41/MSAD 41 |
| High school in town | Penobscot Valley High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.9 |
— | — |
| 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.