Compare towns
Columbia Falls vs Waltham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Columbia Falls has the most people working from home (22.1%).
Waltham has the highest household income ($71k).
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 | Columbia Falls | Waltham |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 475Highest |
346Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -15% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 54.1±7.7Lowest 21% above ME |
56.4±9.3Highest 26% above ME |
| Waltham and Columbia Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 16.8%±6.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
15%±8.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Columbia Falls and Waltham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 30.1%±5.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
32.9%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Waltham and Columbia Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 17.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
22.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.7%±3.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Columbia Falls and Waltham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $43,750±$5kLowest 41% below ME |
$71,071±$14kHighest 5% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $219,300±$37kHighest 26% below ME |
$181,300±$22kLowest 39% below ME |
| Columbia Falls and Waltham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $725±$675Lowest 36% below ME |
$850±$567Highest 25% below ME |
| Waltham and Columbia Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,667Highest 45% below ME |
$1,452Lowest 52% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 58.8%±29.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
15%±96.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Columbia Falls and Waltham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 12.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1970Lowest 7 yrs older than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minLowest 24% above ME |
41 minHighest 67% above ME |
| Work from home | 22.1%±18.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
13.4%±6.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Columbia Falls and Waltham 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 |
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.