Compare towns
Jay vs Lisbon
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 affordable homes ($169k median).
Lisbon has the most people working from home (33.9%).
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 | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 4,657Highest |
3,612Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.8% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 39.5±5.1Highest 12% below ME |
37.4±1.5Lowest 17% below ME |
| Jay and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 17.5%±5.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
25.4%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Lisbon 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% |
12.4%±3.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Jay and Lisbon 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% |
27.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3%±2.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Jay and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $70,238±$19kLowest 6% below ME |
$86,221±$14kHighest 15% above ME |
| Lisbon 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 |
$237,200±$50kHighest 20% below ME |
| Lisbon and Jay 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 |
$805±$259Highest 29% below ME |
| Lisbon and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,245Lowest 26% below ME |
$3,229Highest 6% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 27.2%±28.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
59.6%±23.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Lisbon and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 9.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
77.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 13% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 4.8%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
33.9%±24.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Lisbon and Jay 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 | #60 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 73 | — |
| High school in town | Spruce Mountain High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.