Compare towns
Readfield vs Meredith vs Orrington
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Readfield has the most kids (18.7% under 18).
Meredith has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.7%).
Orrington has the shortest commute (21 min average).
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 | Readfield | Meredith | Orrington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,651Lowest |
6,758Highest |
3,853 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | 0%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 48.1±7.6Lowest 24% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
49.5±3.3 27% above U.S. |
| Meredith and Orrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±3.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
16.4%±4.8 U.S.: 22% |
| Readfield and Orrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.3%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
23.8%±5.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
44.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±2 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Orrington and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,504±$8kLowest 7% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19k 8% above U.S. |
$94,556±$10kHighest 17% above U.S. |
| Orrington and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $326,400±$20k about the U.S. average |
$480,100±$48kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$309,000±$49kLowest 7% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$844Lowest 20% below U.S. |
$1,149±$304 19% below U.S. |
$1,167±$135Highest 17% below U.S. |
| Orrington and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,392 9% above U.S. |
$5,006Highest 61% above U.S. |
$2,823Lowest 9% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31.3%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
11.9%±20.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Meredith and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
88.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1989Highest 9 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 12% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
21 minLowest 19% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 24.3%±14.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
11.4%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Readfield and Meredith 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 | #20 of 133 in ME | #62 of 120 in NH | #41 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 38 | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | Orrington Public Schools |
| High school in town | Maranacook Community High Sch | Inter-Lakes High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.5Highest |
11.1Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.