Compare towns
Brooks vs Wayne vs Mars Hill vs Monroe
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Mars Hill has the most affordable homes ($164k median).
Monroe has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.6%).
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 | Wayne | Mars Hill | Monroe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,208 |
1,101 |
1,398Highest |
1,001Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3% ME: +2.6% |
-5% ME: +2.6% |
-8.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
43.4±3Lowest 3% below ME |
43.5±7 about the ME average |
| Wayne 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% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
23.7%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Monroe and Mars Hill 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% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±5.8 ME: 22.4% |
22.6%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Wayne and Mars Hill 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% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
29.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±3.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±4.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Wayne 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 |
$93,194±$26kHighest 25% above ME |
$65,273±$9k 13% below ME |
$81,300±$7k 9% above ME |
| Wayne and Monroe 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 |
$362,800±$29kHighest 22% above ME |
$163,600±$23kLowest 45% below ME |
$220,300±$57k 26% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,116±$112 about the ME average |
$983±$554 14% below ME |
$488±$96Lowest 57% below ME |
$1,165±$152Highest about the ME average |
| Monroe and Brooks 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 |
$3,289Highest 8% above ME |
$1,843Lowest 39% below ME |
$2,207 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1 ME: 48.4% |
30.6%±7.1 ME: 48.4% |
50.9%±47.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Monroe and Mars Hill 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% |
7.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.6% ME: 10.7% |
11.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6% ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
70.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
30 min 24% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
32 minHighest 28% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±6.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.8%±4.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne 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 | RSU 38 | RSU 42/MSAD 42 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 |
| High school in town | None in town | None 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 | 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.