Compare towns
Stow vs Dresden
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Stow has the most people working from home (17.7%).
Dresden has the highest household income ($75k).
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 | Stow | Dresden |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 535Lowest |
1,645Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +3.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 57±10.5Highest 27% above ME |
55.1±7.9Lowest 23% above ME |
| Stow and Dresden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 15.7%±5.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17%±3.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Dresden and Stow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 37.9%±17.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.8%±8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Stow and Dresden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
3%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $42,204±$22kLowest 44% below ME |
$74,844±$22kHighest about the ME average |
| Dresden and Stow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $326,400±$42kHighest 10% above ME |
$240,100±$29kLowest 19% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,194±$502 5% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,304Highest 9% above ME |
$2,500Lowest 18% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 20%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
13.2%±26Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Stow and Dresden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 8.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 96.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
88.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1998Highest 21 yrs newer than ME |
1985Lowest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 51 minHighest 109% above ME |
33 minLowest 35% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.7%±12Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.7%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Stow and Dresden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Schools | ||
| School district | — | RSU 02 |
| High school in town | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.