Compare towns
Exeter vs Perham vs Wade
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).
Perham has the shortest commute (25 min average).
Wade has the most renters (21.7% rent).
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 | Perham | Wade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,093Highest |
326 |
244Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -11.8% ME: +2.6% |
— | — |
| Median age | 52.6±7.7Lowest 17% above ME |
53±12.9 18% above ME |
53.6±18.5Highest 20% above ME |
| Wade and Perham 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% |
19.6%±8.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±6.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Perham and Wade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±11.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±2.3 ME: 22.4% |
34.8%±10.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wade and Perham 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% |
18.7% ME: 36.2% |
33.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±2.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
0.4%±4.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Exeter and Perham 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 |
$62,500±$22k 16% below ME |
$41,818±$25kLowest 44% below ME |
| Exeter and Perham 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 |
$117,600±$9kLowest 60% below ME |
$157,100±$109k 47% below ME |
| Exeter and Wade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $995±$386 13% below ME |
— | — |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,602Lowest 47% below ME |
$1,641 46% below ME |
$1,655Highest 45% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±73.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 8.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
2.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
92.5% ME: 74.3% |
78.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 43% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
34 min 37% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.3%±5.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.4%±7.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±6.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Exeter and Wade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| 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.