Compare towns
Winthrop vs Waterville
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%).
Waterville has the shortest commute (18 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.
| Measure | Winthrop | Waterville |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 6,191Lowest |
17,077Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.6±5.3Highest about the ME average |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 22.9%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 23.4%±5Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Winthrop and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $86,470±$4kHighest 16% above ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $294,800±$41kHighest about the ME average |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $892±$319Lowest 22% below ME |
$978±$72Highest 14% below ME |
| Waterville and Winthrop 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 |
$2,755Lowest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.8%±22.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Winthrop and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 12.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Highest same as ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 41% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 23.1%±6.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Winthrop and Waterville 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 | #105 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Winthrop Public Schools | Waterville Public Schools |
| High school in town | Winthrop High School | Waterville Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.7Lowest |
12.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.