Compare towns
Howland vs Phillips vs Maxfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Howland has the most affordable homes ($150k median).
Phillips has the most people working from home (16.8%).
Maxfield has the highest household income ($93k).
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 | Howland | Phillips | Maxfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,367Highest |
1,094 |
76Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -11.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-12.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 47.6±10.2Lowest 6% above ME |
49.7±3.7 11% above ME |
54.5±5Highest 22% above ME |
| Maxfield and Phillips are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22%±5.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.7%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
7.9%±39.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Howland and Phillips are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.8%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.3%±2.1 ME: 22.4% |
13.2%±44.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Howland and Phillips are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 12% ME: 36.2% |
20.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
8.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.1%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.3%±14.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Phillips and Howland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $49,297±$21k 34% below ME |
$45,385±$12kLowest 39% below ME |
$92,500±$48kHighest 24% above ME |
| Maxfield and Howland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $150,100±$52kLowest 49% below ME |
$190,800±$18kHighest 36% below ME |
$164,600±$35k 45% below ME |
| Phillips and Maxfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $916±$246Highest 20% below ME |
$483±$377Lowest 58% below ME |
— |
| Howland and Phillips are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,546Lowest 49% below ME |
$2,582Highest 15% below ME |
$2,333 23% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 29%±18.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
40.4%±33Highest ME: 48.4% |
— |
| Phillips and Howland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 25.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
17.7% ME: 10.7% |
8.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
83.3% ME: 74.3% |
100%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1970Lowest 7 yrs older than ME |
1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1999Highest 22 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 26% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
56 minHighest 129% above ME |
| Work from home | 0%±3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.8%±7Highest ME: 15.9% |
0%±39.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 31/MSAD 31 | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | — |
| High school in town | Penobscot Valley High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.9 |
— | — |
| 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.