Compare towns
Gardiner vs Pittston vs Litchfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gardiner has the most renters (31.8% rent).
Pittston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.8%).
Litchfield has the most people working from home (24.2%).
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 | Gardiner | Pittston | Litchfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,088Highest |
3,093Lowest |
3,680 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.8% ME: +2.6% |
+7.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42±3.6 6% below ME |
41.4±5.9Lowest 8% below ME |
46.4±10.2Highest 4% above ME |
| Litchfield and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.6%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±7.4 ME: 18.1% |
17.6%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Litchfield and Pittston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.7%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±6.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.1%±4.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Gardiner and Litchfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.7% ME: 36.2% |
25.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±4.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Pittston and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,782±$10kLowest 4% below ME |
$86,614±$18kHighest 16% above ME |
$84,904±$15k 14% above ME |
| Pittston and Litchfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $221,600±$19kLowest 25% below ME |
$238,700±$66k 20% below ME |
$243,900±$26kHighest 18% below ME |
| Litchfield and Pittston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,113±$191 about the ME average |
$1,080±$593Lowest 5% below ME |
$1,173±$341Highest about the ME average |
| Litchfield and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,742Highest 10% below ME |
$1,909Lowest 37% below ME |
$2,545 16% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.6%±13.7 ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±34.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
32%±60.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Pittston and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81% ME: 74.3% |
96.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 33 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 22% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
32 minHighest 30% above ME |
| Work from home | 13.9%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
3.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.2%±11.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Litchfield and Gardiner 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 | #36 of 133 in ME | #123 of 133 in ME | #131 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | RSU 04 |
| High school in town | Gardiner Area High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.8 |
— | — |
| 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.