Compare towns
Waterville vs Lewiston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Waterville has the most people working from home (16.6%).
Lewiston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.4%).
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 | Waterville | Lewiston |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 17,077Lowest |
38,324Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+1.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
37.3±1.2Highest 17% below ME |
| Lewiston and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.6%±1.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 18.3%±2.5 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±1.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
10.1%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
$55,393±$4kHighest 26% below ME |
| Lewiston and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
$235,100±$8kHighest 21% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $978±$72Lowest 14% below ME |
$986±$44Highest 13% below ME |
| Lewiston and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,755Lowest 9% below ME |
$2,899Highest 5% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.5%±8.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.7%±5.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Lewiston and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
20%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
51.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Highest 18 yrs older than ME |
1957Lowest 20 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
21 minHighest 15% below ME |
| Work from home | 16.6%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Waterville and Lewiston 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 | #132 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Waterville Public Schools | Lewiston Public Schools · Acadia Academy |
| High school in town | Waterville Senior High School | Lewiston High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Lowest |
14.7Highest |
| 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.