Compare towns
Bingham vs Brooks vs Solon vs Patten
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bingham has the most affordable homes ($103k median).
Brooks has the most renters (25.4% rent).
Solon has the highest household income ($69k).
Patten has the most people working from home (28.7%).
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 | Bingham | Brooks | Solon | Patten |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 660Lowest |
1,208Highest |
963 |
1,154 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-6.3% ME: +2.6% |
-7.1% ME: +2.6% |
-13.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 56±8.2 25% above ME |
45.9±6.6Lowest about the ME average |
45.9±5.4Lowest about the ME average |
57.8±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
| Patten and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±6.8 ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.3%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Solon and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 38.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
38.5%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Patten and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
27.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25% ME: 36.2% |
25.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.3%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $42,708±$22kLowest 43% below ME |
$59,130±$10k 21% below ME |
$69,205±$20kHighest 7% below ME |
$51,484±$6k 31% below ME |
| Solon and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $103,000±$26kLowest 65% below ME |
$196,700±$33kHighest 34% below ME |
$183,600±$12k 38% below ME |
$127,600±$49k 57% below ME |
| Brooks and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $354±$264Lowest 69% below ME |
$1,116±$112Highest about the ME average |
$915±$100 20% below ME |
$389±$99 66% below ME |
| Brooks and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,059Lowest 65% below ME |
$2,096Highest 31% below ME |
$1,854 39% below ME |
$1,199 61% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±45.9 ME: 48.4% |
18%±17.3 ME: 48.4% |
14.6%±48.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56%±64.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Patten and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 16.1% ME: 10.7% |
19.1% ME: 10.7% |
10.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
23.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.9% ME: 74.3% |
74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.5% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1966 11 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
52 minHighest 113% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.8%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
9.1%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
28.7%±19.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Patten and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | RSU 83/MSAD 13 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 74/MSAD 74 | — |
| High school in town | Upper Kennebec Valley Middle/Senior High School | None in town | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 7.3 |
— | — | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.