Compare towns
Meddybemps vs Orient vs Topsfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Meddybemps has the most renters (12.9% rent).
Orient has the most people working from home (81%).
Topsfield has the most affordable homes ($142k median).
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 | Meddybemps | Orient | Topsfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 139 |
137Lowest |
214Highest |
| Median age | 63.9±4.2Highest 43% above ME |
62±9Lowest 38% above ME |
63.5±4.9 42% above ME |
| Meddybemps and Topsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 5%±21.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.8%±18.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
13.1%±10.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Orient and Topsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 39.6%±15.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
46%±10.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
44.9%±12.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Orient and Topsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 14.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
25%Highest ME: 36.2% |
14.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±10.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
0%±11.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±5.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Meddybemps and Topsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $48,000±$13kLowest 36% below ME |
— | $48,125±$16kHighest 36% below ME |
| Topsfield and Meddybemps are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $295,000±$73k about the ME average |
$548,600±$183kHighest 85% above ME |
$141,700±$32kLowest 52% below ME |
| Orient and Meddybemps are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,206Highest 60% below ME |
— | $957Lowest 68% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 100%±100 ME: 48.4% |
100%±100 ME: 48.4% |
— |
| Below poverty line | 7.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
35.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
13.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.7% ME: 74.3% |
95.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minLowest 28% above ME |
— | 34 minHighest 39% above ME |
| Work from home | 5.4%±7.8 ME: 15.9% |
81%±44Highest ME: 15.9% |
5.1%±6.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | — | East Range CSD |
| High school in town | — | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.