Compare towns
Limestone vs Starks vs Milo 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 people working from home (14.5%).
Starks has the most expensive homes ($149k median).
Milo has the most affordable homes ($97k median).
Calais has grown the fastest since 2010 (-1.4%).
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 | Starks | Milo | Calais |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,579 |
556Lowest |
2,165 |
3,097Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -34.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-7.3% ME: +2.6% |
-3.8% ME: +2.6% |
-1.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.3±4.9 about the ME average |
46.7±9.4Highest 4% above ME |
43.9±7 about the ME average |
43.8±5.1Lowest about the ME average |
| Starks and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.7%±4.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.8%±4.1 ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Limestone and Milo 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% |
20.3%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
18.2%±2.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.1%±5.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Calais and Limestone 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% |
21% ME: 36.2% |
21.8% ME: 36.2% |
25.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 9.5%±4.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.8 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 |
$63,500±$8k 15% below ME |
$56,875±$9k 24% below ME |
$64,096±$10kHighest 14% below ME |
| Calais and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $98,400±$18k 67% below ME |
$148,500±$27kHighest 50% below ME |
$97,100±$27kLowest 67% below ME |
$111,100±$36k 63% below ME |
| Starks and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $754±$233Lowest 34% below ME |
$1,063±$301Highest 7% below ME |
$879±$400 23% below ME |
$1,010±$199 11% below ME |
| Starks 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 |
$1,348 56% below ME |
$1,450 52% below ME |
$1,684Highest 45% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 32%±12.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
48.8%±17.8 ME: 48.4% |
53.7%±20.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Calais and Milo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 16.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.2% ME: 10.7% |
16.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
21.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 61.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.8% ME: 74.3% |
73.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1969 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 24% below ME |
33 min 33% above ME |
42 minHighest 70% above ME |
16 minLowest 35% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±5.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
3.2%±2.1 ME: 15.9% |
2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | — | #48 of 133 in ME |
| School district | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics · Limestone Public Schools | — | RSU 41/MSAD 41 | Calais Public Schools |
| High school in town | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics | — | Penquis Valley Middle/High School | Calais Middle/High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.6Lowest |
— | 12.5Highest |
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.