Compare towns
Winthrop vs Brewer vs Readfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Winthrop has the most kids (22.9% under 18).
Brewer has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2%).
Readfield has the most expensive homes ($326k median).
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 | Winthrop | Brewer | Readfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,191 |
9,652Highest |
2,651Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
0%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.6±5.3 about the ME average |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
48.1±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
| Readfield and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.9%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Winthrop and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.4%±5Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Winthrop and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40% ME: 36.2% |
35%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $86,470±$4k 16% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$86,504±$8kHighest 16% above ME |
| Readfield and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $294,800±$41k about the ME average |
$245,300±$21kLowest 17% below ME |
$326,400±$20kHighest 10% above ME |
| Readfield and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $892±$319Lowest 22% below ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,125±$844Highest about the ME average |
| Readfield and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,506Highest 15% above ME |
$3,374Lowest 11% above ME |
$3,392 12% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.8%±22.4 ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12.5% ME: 10.7% |
5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1979Highest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 41% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 23.1%±6.7 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Winthrop 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 | #12 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME | #20 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Winthrop Public Schools | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | Winthrop High School | Brewer High School | Maranacook Community High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.7 |
14.0Highest |
11.5Lowest |
| 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.