Compare towns
Ira vs Brewer vs West Haven
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ira has the most expensive homes ($273k median).
Brewer has the most renters (40.3% rent).
West Haven has the most people working from home (10.4%).
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 | Ira | Brewer | West Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 381 |
9,652Highest |
234Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +2% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 54.1±5.5Highest 39% above U.S. |
40.1±4.8Lowest 3% above U.S. |
54±10.5 39% above U.S. |
| Ira and West Haven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 10.5%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.9%±4.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
17.5%±13.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Brewer and West Haven are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 28.9%±3.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
22.4%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.9%±4.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| West Haven and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
35% U.S.: 35.7% |
30.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±3.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
7.7%±2.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.4%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Brewer and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,827±$5k 11% below U.S. |
$66,613±$9kLowest 17% below U.S. |
$85,250±$29kHighest 6% above U.S. |
| West Haven and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $272,900±$18kHighest 18% below U.S. |
$245,300±$21k 26% below U.S. |
$245,000±$34kLowest 26% below U.S. |
| Ira and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $942±$52Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$1,086±$54Highest 23% below U.S. |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,146 33% above U.S. |
$3,374Lowest 8% above U.S. |
$4,485Highest 44% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 36.4%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.7%±13.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Brewer and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 14.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
10.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
59.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S. |
1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 6% above U.S. |
17 minLowest 36% below U.S. |
25 min 4% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 2.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.9%±2.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
10.4%±6.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| West Haven and Brewer 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 | — | #32 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | Brewer Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | — | Brewer High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.0 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.