Compare towns
Waterville vs Smithfield vs Winslow
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 renters (51.2% rent).
Smithfield has the highest household income ($108k).
Winslow has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2%).
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 | Smithfield | Winslow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 17,077Highest |
856Lowest |
8,023 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.7% ME: +2.6% |
-10.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
55.8±3.5Highest 25% above ME |
47.6±3.6 6% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 14.4%±2.4 ME: 18.1% |
10%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.3%±3.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Winslow and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.3%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.7%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.8%±2.8 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.8% ME: 36.2% |
34.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
29.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
3%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.6%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
$107,917±$27kHighest 44% above ME |
$70,917±$9k 5% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
$242,800±$15kHighest 18% below ME |
$225,300±$11k 24% below ME |
| Smithfield and Winslow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $978±$72Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,109±$358Highest about the ME average |
$1,041±$221 9% below ME |
| Smithfield and Winslow 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 |
$2,866Highest 6% below ME |
$2,809 7% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.5%±8.7 ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±45.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.7%±9.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Winslow 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% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
76.1% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1970 7 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 27% below ME |
33 minHighest 32% above ME |
23 min 6% below ME |
| Work from home | 16.6%±5.6 ME: 15.9% |
22%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.7%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Smithfield and Waterville 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 | — | #57 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Waterville Public Schools | — | Winslow Schools |
| High school in town | Waterville Senior High School | — | Winslow High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
— | 12.3Lowest |
| 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.