Compare towns
Exeter vs Calais vs Sumner vs Dixmont
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Exeter has the highest household income ($84k).
Calais has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Sumner has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.9%).
Dixmont has the most people working from home (21.9%).
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 | Exeter | Calais | Sumner | Dixmont |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,093 |
3,097Highest |
845Lowest |
1,207 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-1.4% ME: +2.6% |
+5.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 52.6±7.7 17% above ME |
43.8±5.1Lowest about the ME average |
56.1±8.4Highest 25% above ME |
50.9±4.7 14% above ME |
| Sumner and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 9%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±6.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.9%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Sumner and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±11.4 ME: 22.4% |
24.1%±5.3 ME: 22.4% |
29.7%±5.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.4%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Sumner and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
25.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
15.4% ME: 36.2% |
24.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Calais and Dixmont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $84,408±$12kHighest 13% above ME |
$64,096±$10k 14% below ME |
$57,750±$19kLowest 23% below ME |
$75,952±$14k about the ME average |
| Exeter and Dixmont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $166,700±$39k 44% below ME |
$111,100±$36kLowest 63% below ME |
$150,000±$73k 49% below ME |
$190,700±$22kHighest 36% below ME |
| Dixmont and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $995±$386Lowest 13% below ME |
$1,010±$199 11% below ME |
— | $1,348±$62Highest 18% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,602 47% below ME |
$1,684 45% below ME |
$2,167Highest 29% below ME |
$1,548Lowest 49% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±73.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
53.7%±20.6 ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
42.2%±70.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Sumner and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.1% ME: 10.7% |
21.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
73.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.1% ME: 74.3% |
89.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991 14 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 35 min 43% above ME |
16 minLowest 35% below ME |
42 minHighest 72% above ME |
35 min 40% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.3%±5.7 ME: 15.9% |
2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±8 ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Dixmont and Sumner 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 | — | #48 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | — | Calais Public Schools | RSU 10 | RSU 19 |
| High school in town | — | Calais Middle/High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.0 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.