Compare towns
Bingham vs Solon vs Temple
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).
Solon has the highest household income ($69k).
Temple has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.2%).
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 | Solon | Temple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 660Lowest |
963Highest |
824 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.1% ME: +2.6% |
-7.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-0.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 56±8.2Highest 25% above ME |
45.9±5.4 about the ME average |
34±14Lowest 24% below ME |
| Bingham and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±6.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
32.8%±7.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 38.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
15%±6.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.6% ME: 36.2% |
25%Highest ME: 36.2% |
13.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.3%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Bingham and Temple 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 |
$69,205±$20kHighest 7% below ME |
$56,087±$2k 25% below ME |
| Solon and Temple 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 |
$183,600±$12k 38% below ME |
$210,200±$79kHighest 29% below ME |
| Temple 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 |
$915±$100 20% below ME |
$1,458±$565Highest 28% above ME |
| Temple 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 |
$1,854 39% below ME |
$2,367Highest 22% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±45.9 ME: 48.4% |
14.6%±48.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
73.3%±70.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Temple and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.7% ME: 10.7% |
10.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.6% ME: 74.3% |
92.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1978Highest 1 yr newer than ME |
1966 11 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 13% above ME |
52 minHighest 113% above ME |
34 min 37% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.8%±6 ME: 15.9% |
9.1%±4.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.5%±8.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Solon 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 | RSU 74/MSAD 74 | — |
| High school in town | Upper Kennebec Valley Middle/Senior High School | None in town | — |
| 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.