Compare towns
Lee vs Jay vs Springfield vs Athens
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Lee has the most people working from home (11.9%).
Jay has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Springfield has the most affordable homes ($123k 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 | Lee | Jay | Springfield | Athens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 925 |
4,657Highest |
310Lowest |
791 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4.8% ME: +2.6% |
— | -6.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 51.5±11.5 15% above ME |
39.5±5.1Lowest 12% below ME |
52.4±7Highest 17% above ME |
47.7±7.2 6% above ME |
| Springfield and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 21.8%±4.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.5%±5.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
21.7%±5 ME: 18.1% |
| Lee and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 24.5%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21.6%±5.4 ME: 22.4% |
24.4%±2.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Lee and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 14.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
29.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
17.3% ME: 36.2% |
17.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.8%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±3.2 ME: 5.8% |
0.6%±3.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Lee and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $49,886±$5kLowest 33% below ME |
$70,238±$19kHighest 6% below ME |
$60,833±$23k 19% below ME |
$50,750±$14k 32% below ME |
| Jay and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $174,500±$25kHighest 41% below ME |
$168,600±$27k 43% below ME |
$122,500±$28kLowest 59% below ME |
$153,100±$33k 48% below ME |
| Lee and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $759±$141Highest 33% below ME |
— | $538±$457Lowest 53% below ME |
| Jay and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,547 49% below ME |
$2,245Highest 26% below ME |
$1,067Lowest 65% below ME |
$1,355 55% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 80%±100 ME: 48.4% |
27.2%±28.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
— | 100%±75.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Athens and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 19.5% ME: 10.7% |
9.8% ME: 10.7% |
5.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
23.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 97%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
96.2% ME: 74.3% |
94.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 41% above ME |
21 minLowest 13% below ME |
30 min 21% above ME |
29 min 18% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.9%±4.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
9.6%±5.2 ME: 15.9% |
6.1%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Lee and Springfield 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 | — | — |
| School district | RSU 30/MSAD 30 | RSU 73 | — | Athens Public Schools |
| High school in town | None 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 | 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.