Compare towns
Exeter vs Strong vs Sullivan
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).
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Sullivan has grown the fastest since 2010 (-1.4%).
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 | Strong | Sullivan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,093Lowest |
1,249Highest |
1,246 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-7.5% ME: +2.6% |
-1.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 52.6±7.7Highest 17% above ME |
47.5±8.9 6% above ME |
47.1±15Lowest 5% above ME |
| Exeter and Strong 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% |
19.5%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±5.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Strong and Sullivan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±11.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.5%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Exeter and Sullivan 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% |
26.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±4Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Sullivan and Exeter 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 |
$47,557±$10kLowest 36% below ME |
$59,643±$14k 20% below ME |
| Exeter and Sullivan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $166,700±$39kLowest 44% below ME |
$183,900±$29k 38% below ME |
$222,000±$33kHighest 25% below ME |
| Sullivan and Strong 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 |
$920±$276 19% below ME |
$883±$114Lowest 22% below ME |
| Exeter and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,602Lowest 47% below ME |
$1,950 36% below ME |
$2,228Highest 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±73.8 ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
34.9%±23.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Sullivan and Exeter 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% |
13.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
13.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 43% above ME |
31 min 26% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.3%±5.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.6%±7.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Sullivan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | RSU 24 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Sumner Memorial High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.5 |
| 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.