Compare towns
Dixfield vs Exeter vs St. Albans
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dixfield has the shortest commute (25 min average).
Exeter has the highest household income ($84k).
St. Albans has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2%).
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 | Dixfield | Exeter | St. Albans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,300Highest |
1,093Lowest |
1,831 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -11.6% ME: +2.6% |
-11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.9±4.4Lowest 11% above ME |
52.6±7.7 17% above ME |
54.3±7Highest 21% above ME |
| St. Albans and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
9%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.8%±5.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| St. Albans and Dixfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.1%±4.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±11.4 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| St. Albans and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
15%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
21.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.6%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Exeter and Dixfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $70,613±$9k 6% below ME |
$84,408±$12kHighest 13% above ME |
$65,600±$23kLowest 12% below ME |
| Exeter and Dixfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $160,900±$24kLowest 46% below ME |
$166,700±$39k 44% below ME |
$194,000±$28kHighest 35% below ME |
| St. Albans and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $658±$287Lowest 42% below ME |
$995±$386 13% below ME |
$1,056±$662Highest 7% below ME |
| St. Albans and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,324Highest 23% below ME |
$1,602Lowest 47% below ME |
$1,915 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48%±20.3 ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±73.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.5%±99.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
| St. Albans and Dixfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 14% ME: 10.7% |
8.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
23.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.5% ME: 74.3% |
93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
35 minHighest 43% above ME |
33 min 34% above ME |
| Work from home | 5%±3.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±5.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 56 | — | — |
| High school in town | Dirigo High School | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.6 |
— | — |
| 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.