Compare towns
New Gloucester vs Oakland vs Sidney
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
New Gloucester has the highest household income ($109k).
Oakland has the most affordable homes ($236k median).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+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 | New Gloucester | Oakland | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,766 |
6,309Highest |
4,790Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.4% ME: +2.6% |
-0.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
40.2±6.9 10% below ME |
43±5.5Highest 4% below ME |
| Sidney and Oakland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
23.8%±5.2 ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| New Gloucester and Oakland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.2%±3.4 ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Sidney and Oakland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.7% ME: 36.2% |
24.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
33.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.9%±1.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Oakland and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
$77,813±$16kLowest 4% above ME |
$83,488±$10k 12% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $357,100±$29kHighest 20% above ME |
$236,000±$23kLowest 20% below ME |
$336,200±$34k 13% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$249 about the ME average |
$939±$74Lowest 18% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
| Sidney and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,417Highest 13% above ME |
$2,439Lowest 20% below ME |
$2,474 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 24.7%±12 ME: 48.4% |
65.7%±14.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.9% ME: 74.3% |
77.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991 14 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest 9% above ME |
27 min 8% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
8.4%±4.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Sidney and New Gloucester 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 | #65 of 133 in ME | #23 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | RSU 18 | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | None in town | Messalonskee High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.2 |
— |
| 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.