Compare towns

New Gloucester vs Poland 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).
Poland has the most people working from home (21.9%).
Sidney has the most homeowners (89.4%).

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.

MeasureNew GloucesterPolandSidney
People
Population
5,766
5,954Highest
4,790Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
+2.4%Lowest
ME: +2.6%
+9.9%
ME: +2.6%
+10.4%Highest
ME: +2.6%
Median age
40.1±5.5Lowest
10% below ME
44.2±9.4Highest
about the ME average
43±5.5
4% below ME
Poland and Sidney 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%
21.4%±5.6Lowest
ME: 18.1%
23.1%±5.6
ME: 18.1%
New Gloucester and Sidney 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%
17.8%±4.3
ME: 22.4%
18.4%±3.6Highest
ME: 22.4%
Sidney and Poland 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%
23.8%Lowest
ME: 36.2%
33.5%Highest
ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
3.3%±2.1
ME: 5.8%
4.2%±2.8Highest
ME: 5.8%
1.5%±1.2Lowest
ME: 5.8%
Poland 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
$85,557±$23k
14% above ME
$83,488±$10kLowest
12% above ME
New Gloucester and Poland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$357,100±$29kHighest
20% above ME
$283,600±$44kLowest
4% 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±$249Lowest
about the ME average
$1,198±$128
5% above ME
$1,340±$304Highest
18% above ME
Sidney and Poland 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
$2,774
9% below ME
$2,474Lowest
19% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
24.7%±12
ME: 48.4%
61.6%±30.7Highest
ME: 48.4%
16.4%±17.5Lowest
ME: 48.4%
Poland and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line
4.3%Lowest
ME: 10.7%
16.6%Highest
ME: 10.7%
6.4%
ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
82.9%
ME: 74.3%
81.9%Lowest
ME: 74.3%
89.4%Highest
ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year
1991
14 yrs newer than ME
1988Lowest
11 yrs newer than ME
1996Highest
19 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
27 min
9% above ME
28 minHighest
13% above ME
25 minLowest
about the ME average
Work from home
14.2%±6.5Lowest
ME: 15.9%
21.9%±10.6Highest
ME: 15.9%
14.3%±5.9
ME: 15.9%
Poland and Sidney 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 #81 of 133 in ME #15 of 133 in ME
School district RSU 15/MSAD 15 RSU 16 RSU 18
High school in town None in town Poland Regional H S None in town
Students per teacherat that high school —
12.2
—
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.