Compare towns
Jay vs Cambridge vs Pittston
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 most people working from home (4.8%).
Cambridge has the most homeowners (93.1%).
Pittston has the highest household income ($87k).
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 | Cambridge | Pittston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,657Highest |
532Lowest |
3,093 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— | +7.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.5±5.1 12% below ME |
38.7±1.1Lowest 14% below ME |
41.4±5.9Highest 8% below ME |
| Pittston and Jay 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% |
19.2%±8.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±7.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Cambridge and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.6%±8 ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±6.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Jay and Cambridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±3.2 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±4.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Pittston 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 |
$63,194±$39kLowest 15% below ME |
$86,614±$18kHighest 16% above ME |
| Pittston 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 |
$214,900±$61k 28% below ME |
$238,700±$66kHighest 20% below ME |
| Pittston and Cambridge 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 |
— | $1,080±$593Highest 5% below ME |
| Pittston and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,245Highest 26% below ME |
$1,574Lowest 48% below ME |
$1,909 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 27.2%±28.8 ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±34.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Pittston 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% |
14.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.7% ME: 74.3% |
93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 13% below ME |
41 minHighest 65% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 4.8%±5.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
1.7%±1.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
3.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Jay and Pittston 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 | #86 of 133 in ME | — | #123 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 73 | — | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| 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.