Compare towns
Pownal vs Sidney vs Readfield
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 expensive homes ($437k median).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
Readfield has the most affordable homes ($326k 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 | Sidney | Readfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,696Lowest |
4,790Highest |
2,651 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.2% ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
0%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.2±8.4 5% above ME |
43±5.5Lowest 4% below ME |
48.1±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
| Readfield and Pownal 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% |
23.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Pownal and Sidney 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% |
18.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Pownal and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
48.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Pownal and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $104,333±$14kHighest 40% above ME |
$83,488±$10kLowest 12% above ME |
$86,504±$8k 16% above ME |
| Pownal and Readfield 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 |
$336,200±$34k 13% above ME |
$326,400±$20kLowest 10% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $981±$636Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
$1,125±$844 about the ME average |
| Sidney and Readfield 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 |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
$3,392 12% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 78.9%±22.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Pownal and Readfield 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% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
30 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 23.9%±5.4 ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Pownal 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 | — | #15 of 133 in ME | #20 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 05 | RSU 18 | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Maranacook Community High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.5 |
| 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.