Compare towns
Old Town vs Saco 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 Town has the most affordable homes ($208k median).
Saco has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
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 | Saco | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,470Lowest |
20,819Highest |
9,652 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 37±1.5Lowest 17% below ME |
44.9±1.5Highest about the ME average |
40.1±4.8 10% below ME |
| Saco and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.8%±4.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±2.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Old Town and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.9%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Brewer and Saco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.8% ME: 36.2% |
43.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.2%±6.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Old Town and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $51,585±$10kLowest 31% below ME |
$92,241±$11kHighest 23% above ME |
$66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $208,100±$26kLowest 30% below ME |
$413,100±$17kHighest 39% above ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $989±$100Lowest 13% below ME |
$1,249±$385Highest 10% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
| Saco and Brewer 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 |
$4,807Highest 58% above ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.3%±15Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.3%±14Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
72.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1963 14 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 18% below ME |
24 minHighest 3% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 21.4%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
19%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Old Town and Saco 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 | #38 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 34 | Saco Public Schools | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | Old Town High School | None in town | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Lowest |
— | 14.0Highest |
| 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.