Compare towns
Old Town vs Dedham vs Orono
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Old Town has the most people working from home (21.4%).
Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).
Orono has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.9%).
Orono is a college town. 56.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 Town | Dedham | Orono |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,470 |
1,656Lowest |
11,902Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 37±1.5 17% below ME |
46.5±2.2Highest 4% above ME |
21.8±0.3Lowest 51% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 21.8%±4.1 ME: 18.1% |
23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
6.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Old Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.9%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±2.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.4%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Dedham and Old Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.5% ME: 36.2% |
66.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.2%±6.6 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
56.1%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $51,585±$10kLowest 31% below ME |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$61,528±$5k 18% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $208,100±$26kLowest 30% below ME |
$356,400±$33kHighest 20% above ME |
$272,600±$40k 8% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $989±$100Lowest 13% below ME |
$1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
$1,255±$112 10% above ME |
| Dedham and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,153Lowest 4% above ME |
$3,942 30% above ME |
$4,830Highest 59% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.3%±15 ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.1%±10.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Orono and Old Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 21.3% ME: 10.7% |
9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
24.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.3% ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
46.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1963Lowest 14 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 18% below ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
15 minLowest 38% below ME |
| Work from home | 21.4%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.3%±3.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Old Town and Orono 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 | #56 of 133 in ME | — | #26 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 34 | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 26 |
| High school in town | Old Town High School | None in town | Orono High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
— | 10.7Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.