Compare towns
Exeter vs Limestone vs Mars Hill
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 most homeowners (93.1%).
Limestone has the most people working from home (14.5%).
Mars Hill has grown the fastest since 2010 (-8.9%).
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 | Limestone | Mars Hill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,093Lowest |
1,579Highest |
1,398 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -11.8% ME: +2.6% |
-34.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-8.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 52.6±7.7Highest 17% above ME |
45.3±4.9 about the ME average |
43.4±3Lowest 3% below ME |
| Exeter and Limestone 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% |
20.7%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Mars Hill and Limestone 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% |
21.7%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Mars Hill and Exeter 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% |
20.3% ME: 36.2% |
26%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
9.5%±4.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±3.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Limestone and Mars Hill 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 |
$49,938±$8kLowest 33% below ME |
$65,273±$9k 13% below ME |
| Exeter and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $166,700±$39kHighest 44% below ME |
$98,400±$18kLowest 67% below ME |
$163,600±$23k 45% below ME |
| Exeter and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $995±$386Highest 13% below ME |
$754±$233 34% below ME |
$488±$96Lowest 57% below ME |
| Exeter and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,602 47% below ME |
$1,332Lowest 56% below ME |
$1,843Highest 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±73.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
32%±12.4 ME: 48.4% |
30.6%±7.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Exeter and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
16.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
61.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
70.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1967 10 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 43% above ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.3%±5.7 ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±5.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±6.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Limestone and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics · Limestone Public Schools | RSU 42/MSAD 42 |
| High school in town | — | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 8.6Highest |
8.0Lowest |
| 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.