Compare towns
Willimantic vs Hope vs Bowerbank
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Willimantic has the most kids (36.5% under 18).
Hope has the most expensive homes ($373k median).
Bowerbank has the most people working from home (30.5%).
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 | Willimantic | Hope | Bowerbank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 200Lowest |
1,748Highest |
211 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +10.5% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 38.5±11.9Lowest 14% below ME |
44.6±3.1 about the ME average |
58.3±17.3Highest 30% above ME |
| Bowerbank and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 36.5%±11.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
6.6%±10.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Willimantic and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.5%±16.2 ME: 22.4% |
21.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
33.6%±20.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bowerbank and Willimantic are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
47.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±6.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3 ME: 5.8% |
0%±7.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Willimantic and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $63,472±$52kLowest 15% below ME |
$86,766±$6k 16% above ME |
$93,125±$30kHighest 25% above ME |
| Bowerbank and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $131,700±$21kLowest 56% below ME |
$373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME |
$199,500±$125k 33% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,219±$182 7% above ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,285 58% below ME |
$3,842Highest 27% above ME |
$1,118Lowest 63% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | — | 37.8%±38.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Bowerbank and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 32.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.9% ME: 74.3% |
94.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 6% below ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
48 minHighest 93% above ME |
| Work from home | 13.8%±13.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
30.5%±29.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Bowerbank and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Hope Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — |
| 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.