Compare towns
Pownal vs Harpswell vs New Gloucester
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 people working from home (23.9%).
Harpswell has the most expensive homes ($610k median).
New Gloucester has the most affordable homes ($357k 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 | Harpswell | New Gloucester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,696Lowest |
5,046 |
5,766Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.1% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.2±8.4 5% above ME |
62±1.5Highest 38% above ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 24.2%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
8.8%±2.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 23.5%±2.6 ME: 22.4% |
38.6%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49% ME: 36.2% |
52.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Pownal and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $104,333±$14k 40% above ME |
$96,250±$15kLowest 29% above ME |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
| New Gloucester and Pownal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,800±$32k 47% above ME |
$609,700±$60kHighest 106% above ME |
$357,100±$29kLowest 20% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $981±$636Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,348±$53Highest 18% above ME |
$1,150±$249 about the ME average |
| Harpswell and New Gloucester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,212Highest 72% above ME |
$3,141Lowest 3% above ME |
$3,417 13% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 78.9%±22.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.9%±5.5 ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 5.5% ME: 10.7% |
5.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
83.3% ME: 74.3% |
82.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
27 minLowest 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 23.9%±5.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
20.7%±6.2 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Pownal and Harpswell 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 | — | — | #65 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 05 | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.