Compare towns
Beals vs Mars Hill 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 people working from home (17.6%).
Mars Hill has the most affordable homes ($164k median).
Sweden has the most expensive homes ($311k median).
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 | Mars Hill | Sweden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 498Lowest |
1,398Highest |
537 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-8.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 48±15.6 7% above ME |
43.4±3Lowest 3% below ME |
51.1±19.2Highest 14% above ME |
| Sweden and Beals 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% |
22.9%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
21.8%±5.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Mars Hill and Sweden 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% |
24.5%±5.8 ME: 22.4% |
20.3%±8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Beals and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±3.4 ME: 5.8% |
2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Beals and Mars Hill 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 |
$65,273±$9k 13% below ME |
$73,750±$25kHighest about the ME average |
| Sweden and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,700±$45k 13% below ME |
$163,600±$23kLowest 45% below ME |
$311,300±$61kHighest 5% above ME |
| Sweden and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $907±$378 20% below ME |
$488±$96Lowest 57% below ME |
$1,667±$815Highest 46% above ME |
| Sweden and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,580 15% below ME |
$1,843Lowest 39% below ME |
$2,598Highest 14% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
30.6%±7.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
8.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Mars Hill 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% |
9.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
14.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9% ME: 74.3% |
70.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 17% below ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
31 minHighest 25% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±6.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
9.5%±3.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Beals and Sweden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Beals Public Schools | RSU 42/MSAD 42 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 8.0 |
— |
| 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.