Compare towns
Castine vs Winthrop vs Jackson
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Castine has the most expensive homes ($604k median).
Winthrop has the most people working from home (23.1%).
Jackson has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.3%).
Castine is a college town. 47.7% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Castine | Winthrop | Jackson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,362 |
6,191Highest |
567Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+0.5% ME: +2.6% |
+11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 21.2±0.7Lowest 53% below ME |
43.6±5.3Highest about the ME average |
37.7±5.8 16% below ME |
| Winthrop and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 9.5%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Winthrop and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
23.4%±5Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.5%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Winthrop and Castine are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 74.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
40%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
41.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 47.7%±7.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $113,750±$26kHighest 52% above ME |
$86,470±$4k 16% above ME |
$75,167±$19kLowest about the ME average |
| Castine and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $603,500±$114kHighest 103% above ME |
$294,800±$41k about the ME average |
$231,500±$16kLowest 22% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,105±$104Highest about the ME average |
$892±$319 22% below ME |
$629±$12Lowest 45% below ME |
| Castine and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,250Highest 40% above ME |
$3,506 15% above ME |
$2,651Lowest 13% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 60.3%±56Highest ME: 48.4% |
50.8%±22.4 ME: 48.4% |
6.3%±60.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Castine and Winthrop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 14.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.4% ME: 74.3% |
92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1993Highest 16 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 14 minLowest 42% below ME |
35 min 41% above ME |
35 minHighest 41% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.7%±10.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
23.1%±6.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.3%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Winthrop and Jackson 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 | — | #12 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Castine Public Schools | Winthrop Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Winthrop High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.7 |
— |
| 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.