Compare towns
Mars Hill vs Perham
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 most expensive homes ($164k median).
Perham has the most homeowners (92.5%).
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 | Perham |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 1,398Highest |
326Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -8.9% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 43.4±3Lowest 3% below ME |
53±12.9Highest 18% above ME |
| Perham and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 22.9%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.6%±8.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mars Hill and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 24.5%±5.8 ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±2.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26%Highest ME: 36.2% |
18.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.8%±3.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mars Hill and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $65,273±$9kHighest 13% below ME |
$62,500±$22kLowest 16% below ME |
| Mars Hill and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $163,600±$23kHighest 45% below ME |
$117,600±$9kLowest 60% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $488±$96 57% below ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,843Highest 39% below ME |
$1,641Lowest 46% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.6%±7.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Perham and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 9.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
2.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1976Highest 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 14% below ME |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 6.9%±6.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
8.4%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Perham 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 | — |
| High school in town | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.0 |
— |
| 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.