Compare towns
Readfield vs South Berwick vs Belgrade
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
South Berwick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.4%).
Belgrade has the shortest commute (23 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 | South Berwick | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,651Lowest |
7,670Highest |
3,351 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | 0%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+3.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48.1±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
39±2.5Lowest 13% below ME |
47.3±14.6 6% above ME |
| Readfield and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
26.7%±6Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.6%±6.9 ME: 18.1% |
| South Berwick and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.3%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
15.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±6.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Belgrade and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.8% ME: 36.2% |
41.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.7%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Belgrade and South Berwick 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 16% above ME |
$99,572±$13kHighest 33% above ME |
$88,338±$13k 18% above ME |
| South Berwick and Belgrade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $326,400±$20k 10% above ME |
$428,300±$26kHighest 44% above ME |
$312,200±$44kLowest 5% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$844 about the ME average |
$1,726±$83Highest 52% above ME |
$857±$108Lowest 25% below ME |
| South Berwick and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,392 12% above ME |
$4,956Highest 63% above ME |
$2,859Lowest 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
53.5%±24.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
17.2%±35.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| South Berwick and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.9% ME: 74.3% |
78.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 20% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.6%±5.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.4%±8.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Belgrade 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 | #58 of 133 in ME | #71 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 38 | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | Maranacook Community High Sch | Marshwood High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.5Lowest |
13.0Highest |
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| 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.