Compare towns
Brooks vs Calais vs Franklin
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brooks has the most people working from home (14.5%).
Calais has the most affordable homes ($111k median).
Franklin has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.7%).
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 | Brooks | Calais | Franklin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,208Lowest |
3,097Highest |
1,628 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-1.4% ME: +2.6% |
+5.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
43.8±5.1Lowest about the ME average |
46±9.3Highest about the ME average |
| Franklin and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Brooks and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.1%±5.3 ME: 22.4% |
25.6%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Franklin and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5% ME: 36.2% |
25.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
28.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,130±$10kLowest 21% below ME |
$64,096±$10k 14% below ME |
$65,455±$16kHighest 12% below ME |
| Franklin and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $196,700±$33k 34% below ME |
$111,100±$36kLowest 63% below ME |
$245,800±$59kHighest 17% below ME |
| Franklin and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,116±$112Highest about the ME average |
$1,010±$199 11% below ME |
$888±$306Lowest 22% below ME |
| Brooks and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,096 31% below ME |
$1,684Lowest 45% below ME |
$2,231Highest 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
53.7%±20.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
36.7%±27.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Calais and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.1% ME: 10.7% |
21.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
15.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6% ME: 74.3% |
73.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
76.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
16 minLowest 35% below ME |
29 minHighest 18% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.2%±5.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Brooks and Franklin 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 | — | #48 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | Calais Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Calais Middle/High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.0 |
— |
| 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.