Compare towns

Bowdoin vs Starks

Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.

What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bowdoin has the most people working from home (11.7%).
Starks has the most affordable homes ($149k 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.

MeasureBowdoinStarks
People
Population
3,188Highest
556Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
+2.5%Highest
ME: +2.6%
-7.3%Lowest
ME: +2.6%
Median age
44.3±10Lowest
about the ME average
46.7±9.4Highest
4% above ME
Starks and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18
19.1%±6.2Highest
ME: 18.1%
16.4%±4.4Lowest
ME: 18.1%
Bowdoin and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+
14.1%±4.7Lowest
ME: 22.4%
20.3%±2.2Highest
ME: 22.4%
Starks and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
30.4%Highest
ME: 36.2%
21%Lowest
ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
2.5%±2.2Highest
ME: 5.8%
0.9%±2.3Lowest
ME: 5.8%
Bowdoin and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian
$91,239±$13kHighest
22% above ME
$63,500±$8kLowest
15% below ME
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$292,800±$71kHighest
about the ME average
$148,500±$27kLowest
50% below ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly —
$1,063±$301
7% below ME
Property taxmedian, yearly
$3,375Highest
11% above ME
$1,348Lowest
56% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
0%±42.3Lowest
ME: 48.4%
45.5%±90.3Highest
ME: 48.4%
Starks and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line
11%Lowest
ME: 10.7%
19.2%Highest
ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
84.7%Lowest
ME: 74.3%
90%Highest
ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year
1992Highest
15 yrs newer than ME
1988Lowest
11 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
32 minLowest
29% above ME
33 minHighest
33% above ME
Work from home
11.7%±7Highest
ME: 15.9%
3.3%±2.4Lowest
ME: 15.9%
Bowdoin and Starks 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 #28 of 133 in ME —
School district RSU 75/MSAD 75 —
High school in town None in town —
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History 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.