Compare towns
Sidney vs Waterville
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%).
Waterville has the most renters (51.2% rent).
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 | Waterville |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 4,790Lowest |
17,077Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43±5.5Highest 4% below ME |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
| Sidney and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 18.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Sidney and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $83,488±$10kHighest 12% above ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
$978±$72Lowest 14% below ME |
| Sidney and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
$2,755Highest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minHighest about the ME average |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.3%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Waterville 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 | #105 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 18 | Waterville Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Waterville Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8 |
| 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.