Compare towns
New Gloucester vs Sidney vs Pownal
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 most renters (17.1% rent).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
Pownal has the most people working from home (23.9%).
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 | New Gloucester | Sidney | Pownal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,766Highest |
4,790 |
1,696Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
43±5.5 4% below ME |
47.2±8.4Highest 5% above ME |
| Pownal 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% |
23.1%±5.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
23.5%±2.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Pownal and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
33.5% ME: 36.2% |
49%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Pownal 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 |
$83,488±$10kLowest 12% above ME |
$104,333±$14k 40% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $357,100±$29k 20% above ME |
$336,200±$34kLowest 13% above ME |
$436,800±$32kHighest 47% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$249 about the ME average |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
$981±$636Lowest 14% below 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 | $3,417 13% above ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
$5,212Highest 72% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 24.7%±12 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
78.9%±22.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991 14 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 9% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.2%±6.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
23.9%±5.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Pownal 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 | #15 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | RSU 18 | RSU 05 |
| 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.