Compare towns
Limestone vs Mars Hill vs Windham vs Calais
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Limestone has the most renters (38.8% rent).
Mars Hill has the most kids (22.9% under 18).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).
Calais has the shortest commute (16 min average).
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 | Limestone | Mars Hill | Windham | Calais |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,579 |
1,398Lowest |
19,188Highest |
3,097 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -34.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-8.9% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.3±4.9Highest about the ME average |
43.4±3 3% below ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
43.8±5.1 about the ME average |
| Limestone and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.7%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mars Hill and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 21.7%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.1%±5.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Mars Hill and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26% ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 9.5%±4.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±3.4 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Limestone and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $49,938±$8kLowest 33% below ME |
$65,273±$9k 13% below ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$64,096±$10k 14% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $98,400±$18kLowest 67% below ME |
$163,600±$23k 45% below ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$111,100±$36k 63% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $754±$233 34% below ME |
$488±$96Lowest 57% below ME |
$1,232±$332Highest 8% above ME |
$1,010±$199 11% below ME |
| Windham and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,332Lowest 56% below ME |
$1,843 39% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$1,684 45% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 32%±12.4 ME: 48.4% |
30.6%±7.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
53.7%±20.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Calais and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 16.4% ME: 10.7% |
9.6% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
21.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 61.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
70.6% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
73.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1967 10 yrs older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1969 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 24% below ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
26 minHighest 7% above ME |
16 minLowest 35% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±5.2 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±6.6 ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Limestone 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 | — | — | #95 of 133 in ME | #48 of 133 in ME |
| School district | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics · Limestone Public Schools | RSU 42/MSAD 42 | RSU 14 | Calais Public Schools |
| High school in town | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S | Windham High School | Calais Middle/High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.6 |
8.0Lowest |
12.1Highest |
12.0 |
| 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.