What stands out worked out from the figures below

Topsham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.8%).

Townsend has the highest household income ($122k).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Topsham	Townsend
People
Population	9,706Highest	9,100Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+8.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	44.7±4Highest 15% above U.S.	40.9±3.3Lowest 5% above U.S.
	Topsham and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.9%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 22%	21%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22%
	Townsend and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	24.4%±3.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%	17.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	50%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	35.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.1%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Townsend and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$91,028±$10kLowest 13% above U.S.	$121,528±$23kHighest 51% above U.S.
	Townsend and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$360,800±$20kLowest 8% above U.S.	$433,200±$22kHighest 30% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,355±$642Lowest 4% below U.S.	$1,469±$313Highest 4% above U.S.
	Townsend and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,259Lowest 37% above U.S.	$6,031Highest 93% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	40.3%±12.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	50.6%±16.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Townsend and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	6.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	8.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	78.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	82%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest same as U.S.	1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 11% below U.S.	37 minHighest 41% above U.S.
Work from home	17.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%	10.5%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Topsham and Townsend 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	#66 of 133 in ME	#136 of 282 in MA
School district	RSU 75/MSAD 75	North Middlesex
High school in town	Mt Ararat High School	North Middlesex Regional
Students per teacherat that high school	12.2Lowest	13.1Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.