Auburn receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lewiston
Auburn
Opportunity
58 · Top 46%
vs66 · Top 30%
Growth
45 · Bottom 41%
vs67 · Top 21%
Climate
54 · Bottom 2%
vs54 · Bottom 2%
Physical resilience
84 · Top 18%
vs84 · Top 18%
Housing affordability
78 · Bottom 46%
vs84 · Top 44%
Schools
18 · Bottom 9%
vs53 · Top 47%
Access
44 · Bottom 2%
vs46 · Bottom 3%
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 23%
vs53 · Bottom 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Lewiston | Auburn | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,324 | 24,602 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,393 | $66,647 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,979 | $36,895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,122/sq mi | 415/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $235,100 | $282,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $986 | $1,041 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 51.2% | 59.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.6% | 27.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.0% | 13.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 38 | 108 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 4.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -80.3% | 33.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 12°F | 12°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 50.0" | 50.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 83 mi | 86 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.4 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.3 | 41.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.88 | 12.56 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 52.4% | 72.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 64.1% | 79.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 61.9% | 59.3% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Lewiston
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, drought.
Auburn
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane, drought.
Full profiles: Lewiston, ME · Auburn, ME · How this is calculated: methodology