Compare towns
Bridgewater 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
Bridgewater has the shortest commute (22 min average).
Patten has the most people working from home (28.7%).
Starks has grown the fastest since 2010 (-7.3%).
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 | Bridgewater | Patten | Starks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 484Lowest |
1,154Highest |
556 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8% ME: +2.6% |
-13.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48.8±8 9% above ME |
57.8±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
46.7±9.4Lowest 4% above ME |
| Patten and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.3%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Bridgewater and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.5%±2.8 ME: 22.4% |
38.5%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 18.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
25.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Bridgewater and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,417±$15kHighest 12% below ME |
$51,484±$6kLowest 31% below ME |
$63,500±$8k 15% below ME |
| Bridgewater and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $154,900±$78kHighest 48% below ME |
$127,600±$49kLowest 57% below ME |
$148,500±$27k 50% below ME |
| Bridgewater and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $768±$116 33% below ME |
$389±$99Lowest 66% below ME |
$1,063±$301Highest 7% below ME |
| Starks and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,417Highest 53% below ME |
$1,199Lowest 61% below ME |
$1,348 56% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.9%±59.5Lowest 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 | 12%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
23.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
19.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.7% ME: 74.3% |
82.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971 6 yrs older than ME |
1966Lowest 11 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 10% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
33 minHighest 33% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.5%±5.1 ME: 15.9% |
28.7%±19.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Patten and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| 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.