Compare towns
Castle Hill vs Dedham vs Crystal
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Castle Hill has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Dedham has the most expensive homes ($356k median).
Crystal has the most affordable homes ($129k median).
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 | Castle Hill | Dedham | Crystal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 281 |
1,656Highest |
247Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -2% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 57.8±15.8 29% above ME |
46.5±2.2Lowest 4% above ME |
63.2±8.4Highest 41% above ME |
| Crystal and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.2%±5.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±11.8 ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Crystal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 44.8%±6.5 ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
49%±5.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Crystal and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26.7% ME: 36.2% |
49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±5.3 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
0%±6.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Dedham and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $54,250±$14k 27% below ME |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$48,125±$13kLowest 36% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $145,300±$18k 51% below ME |
$356,400±$33kHighest 20% above ME |
$129,200±$60kLowest 56% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $950±$574Lowest 17% below ME |
$1,422±$607 25% above ME |
$1,563±$922Highest 37% above ME |
| Crystal and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,449 52% below ME |
$3,942Highest 30% above ME |
$943Lowest 69% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 75%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
14.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Castle Hill and Crystal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9% ME: 10.7% |
14.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.3% ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
92.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 24% below ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
27 min 10% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.3%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
0%±15.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Castle Hill and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Dedham Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — |
| 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.