Compare towns
Oakland vs Sidney vs Lisbon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Oakland has the most affordable homes ($236k median).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
Lisbon has the most people working from home (18.1%).
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 | Oakland | Sidney | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,309 |
4,790Lowest |
9,750Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.2±6.9 10% below ME |
43±5.5Highest 4% below ME |
38.4±2.9Lowest 14% 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 | 23.8%±5.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Oakland and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.2%±3.4 ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
16.2%±3.2Lowest 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+ | 24.4% ME: 36.2% |
33.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
23.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±1.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.3%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Oakland and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,813±$16kLowest 4% above ME |
$83,488±$10kHighest 12% above ME |
$77,819±$9k 4% above ME |
| Sidney and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $236,000±$23kLowest 20% below ME |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
$258,300±$26k 13% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $939±$74Lowest 18% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
$979±$286 14% below ME |
| Sidney and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,439Lowest 20% below ME |
$2,474 19% below ME |
$3,324Highest 9% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 65.7%±14.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
43.4%±14.2 ME: 48.4% |
| Oakland and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.6% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
74.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1973Lowest 4 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 8% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
29 minHighest 17% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.4%±4.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
18.1%±9.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Lisbon 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 | #23 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME | #60 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 18 | RSU 18 | Lisbon Public Schools |
| High school in town | Messalonskee High School | None in town | Lisbon High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.2Lowest |
— | 15.8Highest |
| 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.