Compare towns
Manchester vs Wayne vs Hallowell
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Manchester has the most kids (19% under 18).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Hallowell has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.9%).
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 | Manchester | Wayne | Hallowell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,424 |
1,101Lowest |
2,592Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.8% ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.9±4.6Lowest 5% above ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
50.3±7.9 12% above ME |
| Wayne and Hallowell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
13.2%±5.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Manchester and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.6%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.2%±3.8 ME: 22.4% |
33.2%±7.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Hallowell and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
48.8% ME: 36.2% |
52.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
6.4%±6.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Wayne and Hallowell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $92,031±$16k 23% above ME |
$93,194±$26kHighest 25% above ME |
$68,398±$10kLowest 8% below ME |
| Wayne and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $299,600±$40k about the ME average |
$362,800±$29kHighest 22% above ME |
$295,300±$45kLowest about the ME average |
| Wayne and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $993±$116Highest 13% below ME |
$983±$554 14% below ME |
$890±$175Lowest 22% below ME |
| Manchester and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,486 15% above ME |
$3,289Lowest 8% above ME |
$3,867Highest 27% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.9%±18.6 ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
37.1%±17.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Hallowell and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85% ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
58.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 19% below ME |
30 minHighest 24% above ME |
14 minLowest 43% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.9%±5.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±8.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne and Hallowell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 38 | RSU 38 | RSU 02 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.