Compare towns
Orono vs Porter vs Bradley
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Orono has the most renters (58.3% rent).
Porter has the most people working from home (15.5%).
Bradley has the most kids (21.9% under 18).
Orono is a college town. 59.8% 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 | Orono | Porter | Bradley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,151Highest |
1,746 |
1,645Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.8% ME: +2.6% |
+2.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 21.6±0.3Lowest 52% below ME |
40.9±7.9 9% below ME |
42.6±9.7Highest 5% below ME |
| Bradley and Porter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 6.8%±1.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.8%±4 ME: 18.1% |
21.9%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Bradley and Porter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 11%±2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
20.4%±3.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.5%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Porter and Bradley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 69.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
14%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
22.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 59.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
3.2%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,784±$5kLowest 20% below ME |
$60,417±$9k 19% below ME |
$76,667±$28kHighest about the ME average |
| Bradley and Porter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $262,900±$39kHighest 11% below ME |
$226,100±$20k 24% below ME |
$201,800±$37kLowest 32% below ME |
| Orono and Porter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,280±$117Highest 12% above ME |
— | $1,088±$325Lowest 4% below ME |
| Orono and Bradley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,778Highest 57% above ME |
$1,841Lowest 39% below ME |
$1,946 36% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 60.2%±11.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
43.9%±8.7 ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±22.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Orono and Porter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 27%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.8% ME: 10.7% |
4.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 41.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 15 minLowest 38% below ME |
32 minHighest 30% above ME |
23 min 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 11%±3.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.5%±5.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.1%±7.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Porter and Bradley 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 | #26 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | — | — | RSU 34 |
| High school in town | — | — | None in town |
| 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.