Compare towns
Standish vs Waterboro vs Sidney
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Standish has the highest household income ($105k).
Waterboro has the most affordable homes ($297k median).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
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 | Standish | Waterboro | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,662Highest |
8,055 |
4,790Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.7% ME: +2.6% |
+3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.5±2.8Lowest 10% below ME |
42±3.1 6% below ME |
43±5.5Highest 4% below ME |
| Sidney and Waterboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.5%±4 ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Waterboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.2%±2.3 ME: 22.4% |
14.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Sidney and Standish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36%Highest ME: 36.2% |
24.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
33.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11.6%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.7%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $104,593±$15kHighest 40% above ME |
$89,392±$16k 20% above ME |
$83,488±$10kLowest 12% above ME |
| Standish and Waterboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $336,000±$18k 13% above ME |
$297,000±$23kLowest about the ME average |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
| Sidney and Standish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $983±$453Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,200±$461 5% above ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
| Sidney and Waterboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,005Highest about the ME average |
$2,772 9% below ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.4%±22.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.2%±12.5 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Standish and Waterboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
90.1% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 20% above ME |
35 minHighest 42% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 13.6%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
10%±3.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Sidney and Standish 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 | #18 of 133 in ME | #80 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 06/MSAD 06 | RSU 57/MSAD 57 | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | Bonny Eagle High School | Massabesic High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Lowest |
13.5Highest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.