Compare towns
Calais vs Exeter vs Sumner
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Calais has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Exeter has the highest household income ($84k).
Sumner has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.9%).
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 | Calais | Exeter | Sumner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,097Highest |
1,093 |
845Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.4% ME: +2.6% |
-11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.8±5.1Lowest about the ME average |
52.6±7.7 17% above ME |
56.1±8.4Highest 25% above ME |
| Sumner and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
9%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±6.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Sumner and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.1%±5.3 ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±11.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.7%±5.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Sumner and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
15%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
15.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Calais and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,096±$10k 14% below ME |
$84,408±$12kHighest 13% above ME |
$57,750±$19kLowest 23% below ME |
| Exeter and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $111,100±$36kLowest 63% below ME |
$166,700±$39kHighest 44% below ME |
$150,000±$73k 49% below ME |
| Exeter and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,010±$199Highest 11% below ME |
$995±$386Lowest 13% below ME |
— |
| Calais and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,684 45% below ME |
$1,602Lowest 47% below ME |
$2,167Highest 29% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.7%±20.6 ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±73.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Sumner and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 21.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.1% ME: 10.7% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
91.1% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 16 minLowest 35% below ME |
35 min 43% above ME |
42 minHighest 72% above ME |
| Work from home | 2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±5.7 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Sumner and Exeter 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 | Calais Public Schools | — | RSU 10 |
| High school in town | Calais Middle/High School | — | None in town |
| 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.