Compare towns
Smithfield vs Waterville vs Mercer
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Smithfield has the highest household income ($108k).
Waterville has the most renters (51.2% rent).
Mercer has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.8%).
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 | Smithfield | Waterville | Mercer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 856 |
17,077Highest |
718Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -10.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+0.7% ME: +2.6% |
+6.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 55.8±3.5Highest 25% above ME |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 10%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4 ME: 18.1% |
20.1%±6.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Mercer and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.7%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.9%±5.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Smithfield and Mercer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $107,917±$27kHighest 44% above ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
$71,107±$2k 5% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $242,800±$15kHighest 18% below ME |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
$238,500±$32k 20% below ME |
| Smithfield and Mercer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,109±$358 about the ME average |
$978±$72Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,422±$249Highest 25% above ME |
| Mercer and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,866Highest 6% below ME |
$2,755 9% below ME |
$1,970Lowest 35% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.9%±45.2 ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
18.5%±74Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Waterville and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
13.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.9% ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 32% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 22%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.5%±8.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Smithfield and Mercer 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 | — | #105 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | Waterville Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | — | Waterville Senior High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8 |
— |
| 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.