What stands out worked out from the figures below

Wayne has grown the fastest since 2010 (-5%).

Beals has the shortest commute (21 min average).

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	Wayne	Beals
People
Population	1,101Highest	498Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-5%Highest ME: +2.6%	-12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6%
Median age	55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME	48±15.6Lowest 7% above ME
	Wayne and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1%	16.1%±6.5Highest ME: 18.1%
	Beals and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	29.2%±3.8Lowest ME: 22.4%	30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4%
	Beals and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	48.8%Highest ME: 36.2%	37.6%Lowest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8%	5.8%±5.5Lowest ME: 5.8%
	Wayne and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$93,194±$26kHighest 25% above ME	$64,063±$14kLowest 14% below ME
	Wayne and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$362,800±$29kHighest 22% above ME	$256,700±$45kLowest 13% below ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$983±$554Highest 14% below ME	$907±$378Lowest 20% below ME
	Wayne and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,289Highest 8% above ME	$2,580Lowest 15% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	25%±52.1Highest ME: 48.4%	7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4%
	Wayne and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.9%Lowest ME: 10.7%	10.8%Highest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	89.9%Highest ME: 74.3%	83.9%Lowest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME	1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 24% above ME	21 minLowest 17% below ME
Work from home	26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9%	17.6%±10.9Lowest ME: 15.9%
	Wayne and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	RSU 38	Beals Public Schools
High school in town	None 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.