What stands out worked out from the figures below

Benton has the shortest commute (20 min average).

Deering has the most expensive homes ($310k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Benton	Deering
People
Population	2,770Highest	1,938Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	-0.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	42.8±6Lowest 10% above U.S.	48.8±5.7Highest 25% above U.S.
	Deering and Benton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.9%±4.8Highest U.S.: 22%	17.3%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Benton and Deering are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	21%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	23.9%±1.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Deering and Benton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	21.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	31%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.2%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	1.6%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Benton and Deering are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$61,437±$5kLowest 24% below U.S.	$101,250±$16kHighest 25% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$176,700±$23kLowest 47% below U.S.	$309,900±$27kHighest 7% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,110±$123Lowest 21% below U.S.	$1,306±$116Highest 8% below U.S.
	Deering and Benton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,758Lowest 44% below U.S.	$6,223Highest 100% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	65.7%±22.9Highest U.S.: 51.1%	23.9%±27.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Benton and Deering are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	10%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	14.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	84.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	87.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest same as U.S.	1977Lowest 3 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	20 minLowest 26% below U.S.	40 minHighest 50% above U.S.
Work from home	6.7%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	10%±2.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Deering and Benton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#85 of 133 in ME	—
School district	RSU 49/MSAD 49	—
High school in town	None in town	—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.