Compare towns
West Gardiner vs Winthrop vs Sidney
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
West Gardiner has the highest household income ($96k).
Winthrop has the most people working from home (23.1%).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
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 | West Gardiner | Winthrop | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,696Lowest |
6,191Highest |
4,790 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.7% ME: +2.6% |
+0.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.5±2.8 about the ME average |
43.6±5.3Highest about the ME average |
43±5.5Lowest 4% below ME |
| Winthrop and West Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.9%±5.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.3%±4.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.4%±5Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Winthrop and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 32.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
40%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.1%±5.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| West Gardiner and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $96,172±$30kHighest 29% above ME |
$86,470±$4k 16% above ME |
$83,488±$10kLowest 12% above ME |
| West Gardiner and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $305,100±$42k about the ME average |
$294,800±$41kLowest about the ME average |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
| Sidney and West Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,087±$150 5% below ME |
$892±$319Lowest 22% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
| Sidney and West Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,282Lowest 25% below ME |
$3,506Highest 15% above ME |
$2,474 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.1%±9.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.8%±22.4 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| West Gardiner and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9% ME: 10.7% |
12.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest about the ME average |
35 minHighest 41% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 13.8%±7.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
23.1%±6.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Winthrop and Sidney 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 | #90 of 133 in ME | #12 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | Winthrop Public Schools | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | None in town | Winthrop High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.7 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.