Compare towns
Lake Arrowhead vs Wayne vs Buckfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Lake Arrowhead has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.9%).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Buckfield has the most affordable homes ($228k median).
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 | Lake Arrowhead | Wayne | Buckfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,322Highest |
1,101Lowest |
2,403 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-1.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 33±2.4Lowest 26% below ME |
55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME |
37.7±10.1 16% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 26.9%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
25.7%±7.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Lake Arrowhead and Buckfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 7.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
13.7%±2.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26.9% ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Wayne and Lake Arrowhead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $98,654±$9kHighest 32% above ME |
$93,194±$26k 25% above ME |
$77,917±$41kLowest 4% above ME |
| Lake Arrowhead and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $267,300±$19k 10% below ME |
$362,800±$29kHighest 22% above ME |
$227,700±$18kLowest 23% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,288±$327Highest 101% above ME |
$983±$554 14% below ME |
$521±$33Lowest 54% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,286Lowest 25% below ME |
$3,289Highest 8% above ME |
$2,860 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±36.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
25%±52.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±55Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Wayne and Lake Arrowhead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.7% ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1995Highest 18 yrs newer than ME |
1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 39 minHighest 57% above ME |
30 minLowest 24% above ME |
31 min 25% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±12.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne and Buckfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | RSU 38 | RSU 10 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Buckfield Jr-Sr High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.2 |
| 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.