What stands out worked out from the figures below

Lincoln has the most affordable homes ($142k median).

Dexter has the most people working from home (12.1%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Lincoln	Dexter
People
Population	4,890Highest	3,822Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-4.6%Lowest ME: +2.6%	-2.4%Highest ME: +2.6%
Median age	52.4±3.4Highest 17% above ME	51±6.8Lowest 14% above ME
	Lincoln and Dexter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	11.4%±4.4Lowest ME: 18.1%	16.2%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1%
	Dexter and Lincoln are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	32.1%±7.4Highest ME: 22.4%	19.7%±4.4Lowest ME: 22.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	20.2%Highest ME: 36.2%	16.9%Lowest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.5%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8%	3.2%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8%
	Dexter and Lincoln are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$56,089±$15kHighest 25% below ME	$51,845±$18kLowest 31% below ME
	Lincoln and Dexter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$141,500±$40kLowest 52% below ME	$170,600±$52kHighest 42% below ME
	Dexter and Lincoln are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$658±$28Lowest 42% below ME	$838±$119Highest 26% below ME
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,860Lowest 39% below ME	$2,186Highest 28% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	61.3%±34.1Lowest ME: 48.4%	65.2%±20.6Highest ME: 48.4%
	Dexter and Lincoln are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	16.5%Lowest ME: 10.7%	23.1%Highest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	72.6%Highest ME: 74.3%	66.3%Lowest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME	1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minHighest about the ME average	23 minLowest 7% below ME
Work from home	3.2%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9%	12.1%±8Highest ME: 15.9%
	Dexter and Lincoln 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	#94 of 133 in ME	#113 of 133 in ME
School district	Lincoln-Region 3 · RSU 67	MSAD 46
High school in town	Mattanawcook Academy	Dexter Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.8Lowest	13.3Highest
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.