Compare towns
Beals vs Cushing vs Sweden
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Beals has the most affordable homes ($257k median).
Cushing has the most expensive homes ($410k median).
Sweden has the most kids (21.8% under 18).
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 | Beals | Cushing | Sweden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 498Lowest |
1,460Highest |
537 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-2.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 48±15.6Lowest 7% above ME |
48.8±7.7 9% above ME |
51.1±19.2Highest 14% above ME |
| Sweden and Cushing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.1%±6.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4 ME: 18.1% |
21.8%±5.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Sweden and Cushing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.5%±0.9 ME: 22.4% |
20.3%±8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.6% ME: 36.2% |
38.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Beals and Cushing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,063±$14kLowest 14% below ME |
$83,500±$19kHighest 12% above ME |
$73,750±$25k about the ME average |
| Cushing and Sweden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,700±$45kLowest 13% below ME |
$409,800±$44kHighest 38% above ME |
$311,300±$61k 5% above ME |
| Cushing and Sweden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $907±$378Lowest 20% below ME |
$1,553±$376 36% above ME |
$1,667±$815Highest 46% above ME |
| Sweden and Cushing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,580Lowest 15% below ME |
$3,944Highest 30% above ME |
$2,598 14% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.7%±19.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
8.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Cushing and Sweden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.8% ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
14.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.7% ME: 74.3% |
92.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 17% below ME |
23 min 5% below ME |
31 minHighest 25% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±6.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.5%±3.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Cushing and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Beals Public Schools | RSU 13 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.