Compare towns
Castle Hill vs Patten vs Lowell
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).
Patten has the most people working from home (28.7%).
Lowell has the most expensive homes ($210k 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 | Patten | Lowell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 281Lowest |
1,154Highest |
378 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -13.4% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 57.8±15.8Highest 29% above ME |
57.8±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
55.5±8.6Lowest 24% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 14.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.3%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
13.2%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Castle Hill and Lowell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 44.8%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
38.5%±3.3 ME: 22.4% |
31.2%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Castle Hill and Patten 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% |
25.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
30%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±5.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
1.9%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Castle Hill and Lowell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $54,250±$14kHighest 27% below ME |
$51,484±$6k 31% below ME |
$50,833±$31kLowest 32% below ME |
| Castle Hill and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $145,300±$18k 51% below ME |
$127,600±$49kLowest 57% below ME |
$209,700±$30kHighest 29% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $950±$574Highest 17% below ME |
$389±$99Lowest 66% below ME |
— |
| Castle Hill and Patten 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 |
$1,199Lowest 61% below ME |
$1,478Highest 51% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 75%±100 ME: 48.4% |
56%±64.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
80%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Lowell and Castle Hill 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% |
23.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.5% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1966Lowest 11 yrs older than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 24% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
31 minHighest 24% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.3%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
28.7%±19.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±5.7 ME: 15.9% |
| Patten and Lowell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| 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.