Compare towns
Crystal vs Patten vs Castle Hill
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Crystal has the most kids (16.2% under 18).
Patten has the most people working from home (28.7%).
Castle Hill has the shortest commute (19 min average).
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 | Crystal | Patten | Castle Hill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 247Lowest |
1,154Highest |
281 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -13.4% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 63.2±8.4Highest 41% above ME |
57.8±3.5Lowest 29% above ME |
57.8±15.8Lowest 29% above ME |
| Crystal and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.2%±11.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.3%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±5.8 ME: 18.1% |
| Crystal and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 49%±5.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
38.5%±3.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
44.8%±6.5 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+ | 22.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
25.1% ME: 36.2% |
26.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0%±6.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±5.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Castle Hill and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $48,125±$13kLowest 36% below ME |
$51,484±$6k 31% below ME |
$54,250±$14kHighest 27% 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 | $129,200±$60k 56% below ME |
$127,600±$49kLowest 57% below ME |
$145,300±$18kHighest 51% below ME |
| Castle Hill and Crystal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,563±$922Highest 37% above ME |
$389±$99Lowest 66% below ME |
$950±$574 17% below ME |
| Crystal and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $943Lowest 69% below ME |
$1,199 61% below ME |
$1,449Highest 52% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 14.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56%±64.1 ME: 48.4% |
75%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Castle Hill and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 14.7% ME: 10.7% |
23.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.8% ME: 74.3% |
82.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1966Lowest 11 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 10% above ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
| Work from home | 0%±15.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
28.7%±19.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Patten and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.