Compare towns
Beals vs Prospect 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%).
Prospect has the most affordable homes ($197k 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 | Prospect | Sweden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 498Lowest |
923Highest |
537 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-1.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 48±15.6 7% above ME |
45.2±7.5Lowest about the ME average |
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% |
25.2%±10.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
21.8%±5.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Prospect 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% |
19.8%±1.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
20.3%±8 ME: 22.4% |
| Beals and Sweden 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% |
22.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.6%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.6%±2.7 ME: 5.8% |
| Beals and Sweden 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 |
$81,250±$17kHighest 9% above ME |
$73,750±$25k about the ME average |
| Prospect 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±$45k 13% below ME |
$196,500±$19kLowest 34% 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±$378Lowest 20% below ME |
$1,107±$61 about the ME average |
$1,667±$815Highest 46% above ME |
| Sweden and Prospect 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 |
$1,979Lowest 35% below ME |
$2,598Highest 14% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±42Highest ME: 48.4% |
8.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Prospect 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% |
7.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
14.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.8% ME: 74.3% |
92.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1998Highest 21 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 17% below ME |
33 minHighest 34% above ME |
31 min 25% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.2%±3.3Lowest 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 | — | — |
| High school 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.