Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sumner’s best subject grades are an A− for cost of living, civic life, and history; its weakest is a D for schools. Only 9 of Maine’s 285 towns score lower on the outdoors. Its National Register listings include Dudley's Corner School House and First Universalist Society of West Sumner. Sumner has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Sumner beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
First Universalist Society of West Sumner| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Hartford-Sumner Elementary School | PK–6 | 297 |
Census counts: 330 in 1800, a low of 330 in 1800, 994 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 3 maps from 1911 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Sumner is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sumner, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Sumner.
Its public schools are run by RSU 10. 297 students attend Sumner’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford-Sumner Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 297 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ME on state tests and graduation
In Sumner, 91% of households are owner-occupiers, above both the Maine town median (81%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%).
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
For residents in Sumner, the share who live below the poverty line is 5.8%. Among 144 Maine towns, just one has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Sumner. The town’s middle household income is $58,000, against $78,000 in Maine’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Lewiston (12%), Rumford (8%) and Auburn (7%).
| Sumner | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 42 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.4% | 12% | 8% |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 9% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Sumner’s midsummer high is 79°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The share of adults in Sumner who have diabetes: 12%. Two figures for adults here: 16% report frequent physical distress, 19% report frequent mental distress.
| Sumner | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 23% |
| What stands out | Sumner | ME |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 13.6% | 10.7% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 12.4% | 9.8% |
| More smokers | 18.2% | 14.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
7.5 miles of trail. The trail density in Sumner is 0.2 miles per square mile.
| Sumner | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.4% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected losses in Sumner break down as 56% from inland flooding and 17% from hurricanes. Compared with just over half of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is lower. Federal aid has come to Sumner households in 14 declared disasters; the latest was in 2023.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sumner. Close and well known come first.
39 mi Ski areaSaddleback Mountain72 runs · 1,847 ft vertical
39 mi Ski areaCranmore Mountain Resort60 runs · 1,127 ft vertical13 mi Ski areaMount Abram43 runs · 1,037 ft vertical
40 mi Ski areaWildcat Mountain50 runs · 2,026 ft vertical
29 mi Ski areaPleasant Mountain41 runs · 1,240 ft verticalSaddleback Mountain: petersent, Public domain · Cranmore Mountain Resort: Davidafranklin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wildcat Mountain: Ken Gallager at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Pleasant Mountain: Denmarkmaine, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Sumner; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Sumner residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Town in Maine, United States
Sumner is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Sumner is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England City and Town Area. The population was 994 at the 2020 census. The town includes the villages of West Sumner and East Sumner.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
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