Compare towns
Blaine vs Mars Hill vs Solon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
Bordering BlaineBridgewater
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Blaine has the highest household income ($81k).
Mars Hill has the most renters (29.4% rent).
Solon has the most people working from home (9.1%).
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 | Blaine | Mars Hill | Solon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 706Lowest |
1,398Highest |
963 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -8.1% ME: +2.6% |
-8.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-7.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.3±17Highest 3% above ME |
43.4±3Lowest 3% below ME |
45.9±5.4 about the ME average |
| Blaine and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 24.1%±6.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±4.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Blaine and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.1%±7.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Mars Hill and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.5%±3.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±3.4 ME: 5.8% |
1.3%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Blaine and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $80,707±$24kHighest 8% above ME |
$65,273±$9kLowest 13% below ME |
$69,205±$20k 7% below ME |
| Blaine and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $163,600±$23kLowest 45% below ME |
$183,600±$12kHighest 38% below ME |
| Solon and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $691±$303 39% below ME |
$488±$96Lowest 57% below ME |
$915±$100Highest 20% below ME |
| Solon and Blaine are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,804Lowest 41% below ME |
$1,843 39% below ME |
$1,854Highest 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 20%±100 ME: 48.4% |
30.6%±7.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
14.6%±48.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Mars Hill and Blaine are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.6% ME: 10.7% |
10.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
70.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1978Highest 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 24% below ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
52 minHighest 113% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.5%±3.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±6.6 ME: 15.9% |
9.1%±4.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Solon and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | RSU 42/MSAD 42 | RSU 74/MSAD 74 |
| High school in town | — | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 8.0 |
— |
| 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.