Compare towns
Cooper vs Strong vs Alexander
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cooper has the most expensive homes ($213k median).
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Alexander has the highest household income ($94k).
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 | Cooper | Strong | Alexander |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 157Lowest |
1,249Highest |
553 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -7.5% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 46.5±9.1Lowest 4% above ME |
47.5±8.9 6% above ME |
52.8±4.2Highest 18% above ME |
| Alexander and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.6%±17Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.5%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±6.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Strong and Alexander are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.9%±14Highest ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±4.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Cooper and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
24.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±9.8 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±4.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Alexander and Cooper are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $48,750±$15k 35% below ME |
$47,557±$10kLowest 36% below ME |
$93,750±$10kHighest 25% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $212,500±$66kHighest 28% below ME |
$183,900±$29kLowest 38% below ME |
$193,800±$54k 35% below ME |
| Cooper and Alexander are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $920±$276 19% below ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,929 36% below ME |
$1,950Highest 36% below ME |
$1,781Lowest 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | — | 20.9%±52.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Strong and Alexander are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 20.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
13.9% ME: 10.7% |
6.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
95.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 44 minHighest 78% above ME |
31 min 26% above ME |
18 minLowest 26% below ME |
| Work from home | 13.5%±11 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.7%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Cooper are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | Alexander Public Schools |
| High school in town | — | None 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.