What stands out worked out from the figures below

Sidney has the most affordable homes ($336k median).

Auburn has grown the fastest since 2010 (+20%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Sidney	Auburn
People
Population	4,790Lowest	6,119Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+10.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+20%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43±5.5Lowest 11% above U.S.	44.3±5.9Highest 14% above U.S.
	Auburn and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	23.1%±5.6Highest U.S.: 22%	19.3%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Sidney and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.4%±3.6Highest U.S.: 17.2%	13.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Sidney and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	33.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	55.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.5%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	7.2%±4.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Auburn and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$83,488±$10kLowest 3% above U.S.	$153,253±$6kHighest 90% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$336,200±$34kLowest about the U.S. average	$600,300±$29kHighest 80% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,340±$304Lowest 5% below U.S.	$1,893±$822Highest 34% above U.S.
	Auburn and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,474Lowest 21% below U.S.	$8,092Highest 159% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	16.4%±17.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	27.6%±27Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Auburn and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	6.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	2.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	89.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	93.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1996Highest 16 yrs newer than U.S.	1984Lowest 4 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minLowest 6% below U.S.	28 minHighest 6% above U.S.
Work from home	14.3%±5.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	26.5%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Auburn and Sidney 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	#44 of 120 in NH
School district	RSU 18	Auburn School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.