Compare towns
Mount Vernon vs Augusta vs Hope
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mount Vernon has the most people working from home (28.3%).
Augusta has the most renters (46.2% rent).
Hope has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.5%).
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 | Mount Vernon | Augusta | Hope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,716Lowest |
19,077Highest |
1,748 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.9% ME: +2.6% |
-1.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.1±6.2Highest 5% above ME |
42.5±2.4Lowest 5% below ME |
44.6±3.1 about the ME average |
| Mount Vernon and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.7%±5.2 ME: 18.1% |
18.9%±2.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±5.4Highest 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+ | 26.5%±1.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.5%±2.6 ME: 22.4% |
21.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.3% ME: 36.2% |
28.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
47.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.6%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.6%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Augusta and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $74,395±$6k about the ME average |
$47,979±$3kLowest 36% below ME |
$86,766±$6kHighest 16% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $264,200±$23k 11% below ME |
$201,000±$18kLowest 32% below ME |
$373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $893±$168Lowest 22% below ME |
$919±$79 19% below ME |
$1,219±$182Highest 7% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,832 7% below ME |
$2,465Lowest 19% below ME |
$3,842Highest 27% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 26.9%±36.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
49.2%±8.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.8%±38.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Augusta and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
18.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.8% ME: 74.3% |
53.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 29% above ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
20 min 19% below ME |
| Work from home | 28.3%±11.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2 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 | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #119 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 38 | Augusta Public Schools · Maine Arts Academy | Hope Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Cony | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 17.9 |
— |
| 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.