Compare towns
Merrill vs Moose River vs Wesley
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Merrill has the most people working from home (13.2%).
Moose River has the shortest commute (15 min average).
Wesley has the most affordable homes ($69k 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 | Merrill | Moose River | Wesley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 372Highest |
248Lowest |
320 |
| Median age | 33.2±9.9 26% below ME |
32.9±8.2Lowest 27% below ME |
37.3±3.1Highest 17% below ME |
| Wesley and Merrill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 41.7%±11Highest ME: 18.1% |
32.3%±5.2 ME: 18.1% |
15.6%±6.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Merrill and Moose River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 14%±5.8 ME: 22.4% |
8.5%±10.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
16.6%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wesley and Merrill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
14.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
22.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4%±6.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.2%±4 ME: 5.8% |
| Moose River and Wesley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,536±$8k 12% below ME |
$76,324±$9kHighest about the ME average |
$63,125±$34kLowest 16% below ME |
| Moose River and Merrill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $131,600±$21k 56% below ME |
$144,900±$31kHighest 51% below ME |
$68,800±$21kLowest 77% below ME |
| Moose River and Merrill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,449Highest 52% below ME |
$928 69% below ME |
$558Lowest 82% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 60%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
27.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Merrill and Wesley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
14.9% ME: 10.7% |
34.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.3% ME: 74.3% |
91.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
1993Highest 16 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 19% above ME |
15 minLowest 39% below ME |
48 minHighest 96% above ME |
| Work from home | 13.2%±6.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.5%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
1.9%±3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Merrill and Moose River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| 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.