Compare towns
Danforth vs Gardiner vs Pittston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Danforth has the most affordable homes ($90k median).
Gardiner has the most people working from home (13.9%).
Pittston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.8%).
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 | Danforth | Gardiner | Pittston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 666Lowest |
6,088Highest |
3,093 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8% ME: +2.6% |
+7.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 53.1±4.4Highest 19% above ME |
42±3.6 6% below ME |
41.4±5.9Lowest 8% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 13.4%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±7.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Pittston and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.1%±3.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.7%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±6.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Danforth and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
29.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.7%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±4.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Pittston and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $48,125±$8kLowest 36% below ME |
$71,782±$10k 4% below ME |
$86,614±$18kHighest 16% above ME |
| Pittston and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $89,900±$36kLowest 70% below ME |
$221,600±$19k 25% below ME |
$238,700±$66kHighest 20% below ME |
| Pittston and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $629±$29Lowest 45% below ME |
$1,113±$191Highest about the ME average |
$1,080±$593 5% below ME |
| Gardiner and Pittston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,270Lowest 58% below ME |
$2,742Highest 10% below ME |
$1,909 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 36.1%±57.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.6%±13.7 ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±34.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Pittston and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.5% ME: 10.7% |
10.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
68.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1944Lowest 33 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 15% above ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 5.8%±3.4 ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #36 of 133 in ME | #123 of 133 in ME |
| School district | — | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | — | Gardiner Area High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.8 |
— |
| 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.