Compare towns
Etna vs Orono vs Steuben
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Etna has the most homeowners (94.9%).
Orono has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.9%).
Steuben has the highest household income ($76k).
Orono is a college town. 56.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Etna | Orono | Steuben |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,252Lowest |
11,902Highest |
1,388 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-0.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.9±3.4Highest 6% below ME |
21.8±0.3Lowest 51% below ME |
40.1±8.5 10% below ME |
| Etna and Steuben are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20%±6.7 ME: 18.1% |
6.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Steuben and Etna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.5%±1.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.4%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±1 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 13.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
66.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
18.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.6%±0.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
56.1%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $72,379±$16k 3% below ME |
$61,528±$5kLowest 18% below ME |
$76,466±$4kHighest about the ME average |
| Steuben and Etna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $183,000±$49k 38% below ME |
$272,600±$40kHighest 8% below ME |
$173,900±$32kLowest 41% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,255±$112Highest 10% above ME |
$678±$319Lowest 40% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,745Lowest 43% below ME |
$4,830Highest 59% above ME |
$2,029 33% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 66.7%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
58.1%±10.6 ME: 48.4% |
26.3%±87.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Etna and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 15.5% ME: 10.7% |
24.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
46.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1993Highest 16 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 12% above ME |
15 minLowest 38% below ME |
28 minHighest 14% above ME |
| Work from home | 5.6%±3.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.3%±3.2 ME: 15.9% |
11.8%±6.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Steuben and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #26 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 26 | RSU 24 |
| High school in town | — | Orono High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7 |
— |
| 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.