Compare towns
Rockland vs Brunswick
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Rockland has the shortest commute (12 min average).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.3%).
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 | Rockland | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 7,035Lowest |
22,336Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.3±6Highest 10% above ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brunswick and Rockland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 25.4%±4.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Rockland and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.4%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $56,533±$6kLowest 24% below ME |
$74,952±$6kHighest about the ME average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,800±$38kLowest 17% below ME |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,092±$105Lowest 4% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,059Lowest 34% above ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.6%±15.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Rockland and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 10.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 62%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
71.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1948Lowest 29 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 12 minLowest 50% below ME |
23 minHighest 5% below ME |
| Work from home | 22.1%±7.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Rockland 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 | #96 of 133 in ME | #30 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Rockland-Region 8 · RSU 13 | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 |
| High school in town | Oceanside High School | Brunswick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
10.9Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.