Compare towns
Old Orchard Beach vs Belfast vs Eliot
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Old Orchard Beach has the most renters (31.8% rent).
Belfast has the most affordable homes ($341k median).
Eliot has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).
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 | Old Orchard Beach | Belfast | Eliot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,244Highest |
6,986Lowest |
7,146 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4% ME: +2.6% |
+8.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 58±3.5 29% above ME |
60.6±3.1Highest 35% above ME |
50.8±5.9Lowest 13% above ME |
| Belfast and Old Orchard Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 6.5%±2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Eliot and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 33.5%±4.4 ME: 22.4% |
39.1%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
27.8%±6.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Belfast and Old Orchard Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
42.9% ME: 36.2% |
43.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $60,050±$11kLowest 20% below ME |
$67,679±$9k 9% below ME |
$101,522±$10kHighest 36% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $366,600±$38k 24% above ME |
$340,900±$34kLowest 15% above ME |
$498,900±$62kHighest 68% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,246±$182 9% above ME |
$962±$92Lowest 16% below ME |
$1,948±$471Highest 71% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,426Lowest 13% above ME |
$4,145 37% above ME |
$4,549Highest 50% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.7%±15 ME: 48.4% |
47.4%±14.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Eliot and Old Orchard Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 14.9% ME: 10.7% |
16%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
68.5% ME: 74.3% |
79.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 11% below ME |
22 minLowest 13% below ME |
23 minHighest 9% below ME |
| Work from home | 15%±4.4 ME: 15.9% |
12%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Eliot and Old Orchard Beach 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 | #67 of 133 in ME | #84 of 133 in ME | #19 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 23 | RSU 71 | RSU 35/MSAD 35 |
| High school in town | Old Orchard Beach High School | Belfast Area High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 7.6Lowest |
11.3Highest |
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| 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.