Compare towns
Jay vs Brooks vs Newburgh
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Jay has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Brooks has the most people working from home (14.5%).
Newburgh has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.8%).
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 | Jay | Brooks | Newburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,657Highest |
1,208Lowest |
1,475 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.8% ME: +2.6% |
-6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.5±5.1Lowest 12% below ME |
45.9±6.6Highest about the ME average |
45.8±5.7 about the ME average |
| Brooks and Newburgh are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.5%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Newburgh and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±2.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Newburgh and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.7% ME: 36.2% |
27.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
29.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±3.2 ME: 5.8% |
6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $70,238±$19k 6% below ME |
$59,130±$10kLowest 21% below ME |
$76,750±$10kHighest about the ME average |
| Newburgh and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $168,600±$27kLowest 43% below ME |
$196,700±$33k 34% below ME |
$244,600±$20kHighest 18% below ME |
| Newburgh and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $759±$141Lowest 33% below ME |
$1,116±$112Highest about the ME average |
$950±$219 17% below ME |
| Brooks and Newburgh are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,245 26% below ME |
$2,096Lowest 31% below ME |
$2,748Highest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 27.2%±28.8 ME: 48.4% |
18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±13.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Newburgh and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
11.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 13% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 4.8%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±2.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.4%±3.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #86 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 73 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | — |
| High school in town | Spruce Mountain High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7 |
— | — |
| 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.