Compare towns
Caribou vs Rockland vs Thomaston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Caribou has the most affordable homes ($134k median).
Rockland has the most people working from home (22.1%).
Thomaston has grown the fastest since 2010 (-1.5%).
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 | Caribou | Rockland | Thomaston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,382Highest |
7,035 |
2,769Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -9.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-4.9% ME: +2.6% |
-1.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 51.3±1.7 15% above ME |
49.3±6Lowest 10% above ME |
58.1±6.6Highest 30% above ME |
| Thomaston and Caribou are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Thomaston and Caribou are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
25.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
35.5%±8.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Thomaston and Caribou are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 28.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
35.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.4%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.6%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $53,709±$9kLowest 28% below ME |
$56,533±$6kHighest 24% below ME |
$56,435±$13k 24% below ME |
| Rockland and Thomaston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $134,100±$31kLowest 55% below ME |
$245,800±$38k 17% below ME |
$271,700±$10kHighest 8% below ME |
| Thomaston and Rockland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $757±$143Lowest 34% below ME |
$1,092±$105 4% below ME |
$1,262±$343Highest 11% above ME |
| Thomaston and Rockland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,680Lowest 45% below ME |
$4,059 34% above ME |
$4,487Highest 48% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.3%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±15.3 ME: 48.4% |
60.5%±23.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Thomaston and Rockland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 15.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
6.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3% ME: 74.3% |
62%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
73.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Highest 17 yrs older than ME |
1948Lowest 29 yrs older than ME |
1951 26 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 15 minHighest 40% below ME |
12 minLowest 50% below ME |
14 min 45% below ME |
| Work from home | 12.5%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
22.1%±7.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Rockland and Caribou 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 | #59 of 133 in ME | #96 of 133 in ME | #99 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 39 | Rockland-Region 8 · RSU 13 | RSU 13 |
| High school in town | Caribou High School | Oceanside High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.2Highest |
10.7Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.