Compare towns
Palermo vs Brooks vs New Sharon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Palermo has the highest household income ($89k).
Brooks has the most renters (25.4% rent).
New Sharon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.6%).
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 | Palermo | Brooks | New Sharon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,473 |
1,208Lowest |
1,550Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.3% ME: +2.6% |
-6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+3.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±6.1Lowest 3% below ME |
45.9±6.6Highest about the ME average |
43.9±8.9 about the ME average |
| Brooks and New Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.1%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| New Sharon and Palermo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.2%±2 ME: 22.4% |
17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.8%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| New Sharon and Palermo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 31.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
27.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
29.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±2 ME: 5.8% |
6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Palermo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $89,095±$15kHighest 19% above ME |
$59,130±$10kLowest 21% below ME |
$63,889±$21k 15% below ME |
| Palermo and New Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $259,700±$54kHighest 12% below ME |
$196,700±$33k 34% below ME |
$171,200±$21kLowest 42% below ME |
| Palermo and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,235±$1kHighest 8% above ME |
$1,116±$112 about the ME average |
$961±$55Lowest 16% below ME |
| Palermo and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,506Highest 17% below ME |
$2,096 31% below ME |
$1,889Lowest 38% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 65.6%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
61%±38 ME: 48.4% |
| Palermo and New Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 24% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
30 min 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.8%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
8.7%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Palermo and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 12 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 09 |
| High school in town | None in town | None 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.