Compare towns
Mount Chase vs Perham vs Springfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mount Chase has the most people working from home (22.2%).
Perham has the shortest commute (25 min average).
Springfield has the most expensive homes ($123k 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 | Mount Chase | Perham | Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 280Lowest |
326Highest |
310 |
| Median age | 49.9±10.9Lowest 11% above ME |
53±12.9Highest 18% above ME |
52.4±7 17% above ME |
| Perham and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.1%±10.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.6%±8.5 ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±5.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mount Chase and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 28.9%±6.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±2.3 ME: 22.4% |
21.6%±5.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Chase and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 32.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
18.7% ME: 36.2% |
17.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±5.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
0.6%±3.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mount Chase and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $41,711±$7kLowest 44% below ME |
$62,500±$22kHighest 16% below ME |
$60,833±$23k 19% below ME |
| Perham and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $115,700±$15kLowest 61% below ME |
$117,600±$9k 60% below ME |
$122,500±$28kHighest 59% below ME |
| Springfield and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,281±$1k 12% above ME |
— | — |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,548 49% below ME |
$1,641Highest 46% below ME |
$1,067Lowest 65% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 28.6%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
— |
| Perham and Mount Chase are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 30.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
2.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
5.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.5% ME: 74.3% |
96.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 9% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
30 minHighest 21% above ME |
| Work from home | 22.2%±12.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.4%±7.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
9.6%±5.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Chase and Springfield 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.