Compare towns
Winthrop vs Brewer vs Wayne vs Sidney
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 homeowners (92.5%).
Brewer has the most renters (40.3% rent).
Wayne has the oldest population (median age 55.6).
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 | Winthrop | Brewer | Wayne | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,191 |
9,652Highest |
1,101Lowest |
4,790 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.6±5.3 about the ME average |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
43±5.5 4% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 22.9%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest 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+ | 23.4%±5 ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Wayne and Winthrop 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% ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Wayne 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 |
$93,194±$26kHighest 25% above ME |
$83,488±$10k 12% above ME |
| Wayne 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 |
$362,800±$29kHighest 22% above ME |
$336,200±$34k 13% above ME |
| Wayne and Sidney 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 |
$983±$554 14% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
| Sidney 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 |
$3,374 11% above ME |
$3,289 8% above ME |
$2,474Lowest 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.8%±22.4 ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest 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% |
7.9% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%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% |
89.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 41% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
30 min 24% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 23.1%±6.7 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne 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 | — | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Winthrop Public Schools | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 38 | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | Winthrop High School | Brewer High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.7Lowest |
14.0Highest |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.