Compare towns
Mars Hill vs Blaine vs Brooks
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mars Hill has the youngest population (median age 43.4).
Blaine has the highest household income ($81k).
Brooks has the most people working from home (14.5%).
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 | Mars Hill | Blaine | Brooks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,398Highest |
706Lowest |
1,208 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -8.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-8.1% ME: +2.6% |
-6.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±3Lowest 3% below ME |
46.3±17Highest 3% above ME |
45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
| Blaine and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.9%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
24.1%±6.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Blaine and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.5%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.1%±7.3 ME: 22.4% |
17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Mars Hill and Blaine are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26% ME: 36.2% |
20%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
27.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.8%±3.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6.5%±3.4 ME: 5.8% |
6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Blaine are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,273±$9k 13% below ME |
$80,707±$24kHighest 8% above ME |
$59,130±$10kLowest 21% below ME |
| Blaine and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $163,600±$23kLowest 45% below ME |
— | $196,700±$33kHighest 34% below ME |
| Brooks and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $488±$96Lowest 57% below ME |
$691±$303 39% below ME |
$1,116±$112Highest about the ME average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,843 39% below ME |
$1,804Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,096Highest 31% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.6%±7.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
20%±100 ME: 48.4% |
18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Mars Hill and Blaine are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.6% ME: 10.7% |
5.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
74.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 14% below ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 6.9%±6.6 ME: 15.9% |
6.5%±3.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±2.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Brooks and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 42/MSAD 42 | — | RSU 03/MSAD 03 |
| High school in town | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.0 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.