Compare towns
Milo vs Knox vs Calais
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Milo has the most affordable homes ($97k median).
Knox has the most people working from home (12.3%).
Calais has the shortest commute (16 min average).
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 | Milo | Knox | Calais |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,165 |
825Lowest |
3,097Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+0.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.9±7Highest about the ME average |
41.1±7.9Lowest 8% below ME |
43.8±5.1 about the ME average |
| Milo and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.8%±4.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±4.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Milo and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.2%±2.6 ME: 22.4% |
17.3%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.1%±5.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Calais and Milo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.6%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Calais and Knox are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $56,875±$9kLowest 24% below ME |
$64,821±$9kHighest 13% below ME |
$64,096±$10k 14% below ME |
| Knox and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $97,100±$27kLowest 67% below ME |
$159,600±$26kHighest 46% below ME |
$111,100±$36k 63% below ME |
| Knox and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $879±$400Lowest 23% below ME |
$1,375±$47Highest 21% above ME |
$1,010±$199 11% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,450Lowest 52% below ME |
$1,610 47% below ME |
$1,684Highest 45% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.8 ME: 48.4% |
11.3%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
53.7%±20.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Calais and Milo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16.4% ME: 10.7% |
8.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
21.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
80.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
73.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 42 minHighest 70% above ME |
30 min 22% above ME |
16 minLowest 35% below ME |
| Work from home | 3.2%±2.1 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±7.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Knox and Milo 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 | — | — | #48 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 41/MSAD 41 | — | Calais Public Schools |
| High school in town | Penquis Valley Middle/High School | — | Calais Middle/High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 12.0Lowest |
| 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.