Compare towns
Calais vs Robbinston vs Starks
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
Bordering CalaisBaring plantation
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Calais has grown the fastest since 2010 (-1.4%).
Robbinston has the most people working from home (6.6%).
Starks has the most homeowners (90%).
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 | Robbinston | Starks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,097Highest |
621 |
556Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-6.1% ME: +2.6% |
-7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.8±5.1Lowest about the ME average |
48.1±2.7Highest 7% above ME |
46.7±9.4 4% above ME |
| Robbinston and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.3%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 24.1%±5.3 ME: 22.4% |
27.1%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Robbinston 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% ME: 36.2% |
27.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,096±$10k 14% below ME |
$68,333±$13kHighest 9% below ME |
$63,500±$8kLowest 15% below ME |
| Robbinston 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 |
$228,000±$41kHighest 23% below ME |
$148,500±$27k 50% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,010±$199Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,232±$808Highest 8% above ME |
$1,063±$301 7% below ME |
| Robbinston and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,684Highest 45% below ME |
$1,478 51% below ME |
$1,348Lowest 56% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.7%±20.6 ME: 48.4% |
60.6%±26.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±90.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Robbinston 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% |
15.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.7% ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 16 minLowest 35% below ME |
22 min 9% below ME |
33 minHighest 33% above ME |
| Work from home | 2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
6.6%±4Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Robbinston and Starks 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 | — | — |
| High school 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.