Compare towns
Sidney vs Dedham vs West Gardiner
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).
West Gardiner has the most affordable homes ($305k 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 | Sidney | Dedham | West Gardiner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,790Highest |
1,656Lowest |
3,696 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.7% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±5.5Lowest 4% below ME |
46.5±2.2Highest 4% above ME |
43.5±2.8 about the ME average |
| Dedham and West Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.9%±5.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±2.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.3%±4.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Dedham and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.5% ME: 36.2% |
49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
32.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
8.1%±5.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| West Gardiner and Dedham 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 12% above ME |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$96,172±$30k 29% above ME |
| Dedham and West Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $336,200±$34k 13% above ME |
$356,400±$33kHighest 20% above ME |
$305,100±$42kLowest about the ME average |
| Dedham and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,340±$304 18% above ME |
$1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
$1,087±$150Lowest 5% below ME |
| Dedham and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,474 19% below ME |
$3,942Highest 30% above ME |
$2,282Lowest 25% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.4%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
57.1%±9.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.4% ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
88.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
24 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 14.3%±5.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
13.8%±7.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Sidney and West Gardiner 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 | — | #90 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 18 | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.