Compare towns
Crystal vs Penobscot
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 affordable homes ($129k median).
Penobscot has the most people working from home (17.7%).
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 | Penobscot |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 247Lowest |
1,154Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -10.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 63.2±8.4Highest 41% above ME |
53.4±5.7Lowest 19% above ME |
| Crystal and Penobscot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 16.2%±11.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18%±6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Penobscot and Crystal 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% |
32%±4.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
32.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0%±6.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
1%±0.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Penobscot and Crystal 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 |
$63,194±$14kHighest 15% below ME |
| Penobscot and Crystal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $129,200±$60kLowest 56% below ME |
$296,400±$58kHighest about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,563±$922Highest 37% above ME |
$1,141±$33Lowest about the ME average |
| Crystal and Penobscot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $943Lowest 69% below ME |
$1,852Highest 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 14.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
73.9%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Penobscot and Crystal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 14.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
16%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1979Highest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest 10% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 0%±15.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.7%±13.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Penobscot and Crystal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Schools | ||
| School district | — | Penobscot Public Schools |
| High school in town | — | None in town |
| 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.