Compare towns
Beals vs Sumner vs Robbinston
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 expensive homes ($257k median).
Sumner has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.9%).
Robbinston has the highest household income ($68k).
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 | Sumner | Robbinston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 498Lowest |
845Highest |
621 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-6.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48±15.6Lowest 7% above ME |
56.1±8.4Highest 25% above ME |
48.1±2.7 7% above ME |
| Sumner and Robbinston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.1%±6.5 ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±6.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.3%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Sumner and Beals 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% |
29.7%±5.2 ME: 22.4% |
27.1%±3.8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Beals and Sumner 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% |
15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
27.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Beals and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,063±$14k 14% below ME |
$57,750±$19kLowest 23% below ME |
$68,333±$13kHighest 9% below ME |
| Robbinston and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,700±$45kHighest 13% below ME |
$150,000±$73kLowest 49% below ME |
$228,000±$41k 23% below ME |
| Beals and Robbinston 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 |
— | $1,232±$808Highest 8% above ME |
| Robbinston and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,580Highest 15% below ME |
$2,167 29% below ME |
$1,478Lowest 51% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
60.6%±26.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Sumner and Robbinston 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% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
15.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9% ME: 74.3% |
91.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1978Highest 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 17% below ME |
42 minHighest 72% above ME |
22 min 9% below ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±8Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.6%±4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Sumner 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 10 | — |
| 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.