Compare towns
Cooper vs Whiting vs Shirley
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 people working from home (13.5%).
Whiting has the oldest population (median age 50).
Shirley has the highest household income ($62k).
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 | Whiting | Shirley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 157Lowest |
506Highest |
234 |
| Median age | 46.5±9.1 4% above ME |
50±5Highest 12% above ME |
42±8.2Lowest 6% below ME |
| Whiting and Cooper are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.6%±17 ME: 18.1% |
17.8%±4.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±9.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Whiting and Cooper are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.9%±14Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.5%±6.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.5%±10.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Whiting and Shirley 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% |
34.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±9.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.8%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.3%±5.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Cooper and Shirley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $48,750±$15kLowest 35% below ME |
$55,263±$2k 26% below ME |
$61,875±$22kHighest 17% below ME |
| Shirley and Whiting are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $212,500±$66kLowest 28% below ME |
$214,200±$52k 28% below ME |
$219,600±$36kHighest 26% below ME |
| Shirley and Whiting are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $600±$333 47% below ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,929 36% below ME |
$1,728Lowest 43% below ME |
$2,522Highest 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | — | 33.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
— |
| Below poverty line | 20.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95% ME: 74.3% |
93.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
99%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 44 minHighest 78% above ME |
22 min 10% below ME |
21 minLowest 17% below ME |
| Work from home | 13.5%±11Highest ME: 15.9% |
5.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
5.3%±4.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Cooper and Shirley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Whiting 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.