Compare towns
Pownal vs Brunswick vs Manchester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Pownal has the most kids (24.2% under 18).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.3%).
Manchester has the most affordable homes ($300k median).
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 | Pownal | Brunswick | Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,696Lowest |
22,336Highest |
2,424 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.2±8.4Highest 5% above ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
46.9±4.6 5% above ME |
| Pownal and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 24.2%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Pownal and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.5%±2.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
22.6%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Pownal and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49% ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
47.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $104,333±$14kHighest 40% above ME |
$74,952±$6kLowest about the ME average |
$92,031±$16k 23% above ME |
| Pownal and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,800±$32kHighest 47% above ME |
$376,300±$15k 27% above ME |
$299,600±$40kLowest about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $981±$636Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
$993±$116 13% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,212Highest 72% above ME |
$4,756 57% above ME |
$3,486Lowest 15% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 78.9%±22.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8 ME: 48.4% |
30.9%±18.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Pownal and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.5% ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
71.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
23 min 5% below ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
| Work from home | 23.9%±5.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
11.9%±5.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Pownal and Brunswick 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 | — | #30 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 05 | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | None in town | Brunswick High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.9 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.