Compare towns
Old Town vs Surry 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%).
Surry has the most homeowners (88.6%).
Orono has the youngest population (median age 21.8).
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 | Surry | Orono |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,470 |
1,836Lowest |
11,902Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 37±1.5 17% below ME |
52.4±5.6Highest 17% above ME |
21.8±0.3Lowest 51% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 21.8%±4.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
6.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Old Town and Surry 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% |
30.9%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.4%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
38.1% ME: 36.2% |
66.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.2%±6.6 ME: 5.8% |
2%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
56.1%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $51,585±$10kLowest 31% below ME |
$74,508±$12kHighest about the ME average |
$61,528±$5k 18% below ME |
| Surry and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $208,100±$26kLowest 30% below ME |
$296,300±$36kHighest about the ME average |
$272,600±$40k 8% below ME |
| Surry and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $989±$100 13% below ME |
$969±$129Lowest 15% below ME |
$1,255±$112Highest 10% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,153 4% above ME |
$1,903Lowest 37% below ME |
$4,830Highest 59% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.3%±15Lowest ME: 48.4% |
65.8%±59.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
58.1%±10.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Surry and Orono 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% |
7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
24.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.3% ME: 74.3% |
88.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
46.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1963Lowest 14 yrs older than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 18% below ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
15 minLowest 38% below ME |
| Work from home | 21.4%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.4%±5 ME: 15.9% |
11.3%±3.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Old Town and Surry 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 | Surry 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.