Compare towns
Brooks vs Castle Hill vs Waldo
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 renters (25.4% rent).
Castle Hill has the most affordable homes ($145k median).
Waldo has the highest household income ($71k).
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 | Castle Hill | Waldo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,208Highest |
281Lowest |
926 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— | +4.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
57.8±15.8Highest 29% above ME |
37.5±9.6Lowest 16% below ME |
| Castle Hill and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±5.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.2%±4.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Waldo and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
44.8%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5% ME: 36.2% |
26.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
36.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±5.3 ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,130±$10k 21% below ME |
$54,250±$14kLowest 27% below ME |
$71,458±$21kHighest 4% below ME |
| Waldo and Brooks 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 |
$145,300±$18kLowest 51% below ME |
$208,000±$41kHighest 30% below ME |
| Waldo and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,116±$112 about the ME average |
$950±$574Lowest 17% below ME |
$1,150±$691Highest about the ME average |
| Waldo and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,096Highest 31% below ME |
$1,449Lowest 52% below ME |
$1,623 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
75%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Castle Hill and Waldo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minHighest about the ME average |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
20 min 20% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Waldo and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | — | Waldo-Region 7 |
| High school in town | None in town | — | None in town |
| 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.