Compare towns
Lewiston vs Brunswick vs Durham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Lewiston has the most renters (48.8% rent).
Brunswick has the most expensive homes ($376k median).
Durham has the most homeowners (95.4%).
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 | Lewiston | Brunswick | Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 38,324Highest |
22,336 |
4,262Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.3% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 37.3±1.2Lowest 17% below ME |
40±2.8 11% below ME |
42.6±5.9Highest 5% below ME |
| Durham and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.6%±1.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.7%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Lewiston and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.3%±1.7 ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
16.6%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.1%±1 ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±3.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $55,393±$4kLowest 26% below ME |
$74,952±$6k about the ME average |
$99,181±$5kHighest 33% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $235,100±$8kLowest 21% below ME |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
$322,200±$34k 9% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $986±$44Lowest 13% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,899Lowest 5% below ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
$3,781 25% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.7%±5.9 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
25%±40.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Lewiston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 20%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.7% ME: 10.7% |
4.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 51.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
71.2% ME: 74.3% |
95.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1957Lowest 20 yrs older than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 15% below ME |
23 min 5% below ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
20.9%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Durham and Brunswick 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 | #132 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME | #14 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Lewiston Public Schools · Acadia Academy | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | RSU 05 |
| High school in town | Lewiston High School | Brunswick High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.7Highest |
10.9Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.