Compare towns
Old Orchard Beach vs Brewer
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 people working from home (15%).
Brewer has the most kids (20.9% under 18).
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 | Brewer |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 9,244Lowest |
9,652Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 58±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 6.5%±2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 33.5%±4.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Old Orchard Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $60,050±$11kLowest 20% below ME |
$66,613±$9kHighest 11% below ME |
| Brewer and Old Orchard Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $366,600±$38kHighest 24% above ME |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,246±$182Highest 9% above ME |
$1,086±$54Lowest 5% below ME |
| Old Orchard Beach and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,426Highest 13% above ME |
$3,374Lowest 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.7%±15Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minHighest 11% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 15%±4.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #67 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 23 | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Old Orchard Beach High School | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 7.6Lowest |
14.0Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.