Compare towns
Bingham vs Patten vs Starks
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).
Patten has the most people working from home (28.7%).
Starks has the highest household income ($64k).
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 | Patten | Starks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 660 |
1,154Highest |
556Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-13.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-7.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 56±8.2 25% above ME |
57.8±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
46.7±9.4Lowest 4% 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% |
11.3%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Starks and Bingham 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% |
38.5%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.3%±2.2Lowest 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% ME: 36.2% |
25.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Bingham and Patten 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 |
$51,484±$6k 31% below ME |
$63,500±$8kHighest 15% below ME |
| Starks and Patten 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 |
$127,600±$49k 57% below ME |
$148,500±$27kHighest 50% below ME |
| Starks and Patten 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 |
$389±$99 66% below ME |
$1,063±$301Highest 7% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,059Lowest 65% below ME |
$1,199 61% below ME |
$1,348Highest 56% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±45.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56%±64.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Patten and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
23.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
19.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1966 11 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 13% above ME |
28 minLowest 13% above ME |
33 minHighest 33% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.8%±6 ME: 15.9% |
28.7%±19.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Patten and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 83/MSAD 13 | — | — |
| High school in town | Upper Kennebec Valley Middle/Senior High School | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 7.3 |
— | — |
| 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.