Compare towns
Mount Chase vs Phillips vs Strong
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 affordable homes ($116k median).
Phillips has the shortest commute (23 min average).
Strong has the highest household income ($48k).
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 | Phillips | Strong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 280Lowest |
1,094 |
1,249Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -12.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-7.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.9±10.9Highest 11% above ME |
49.7±3.7 11% above ME |
47.5±8.9Lowest 6% above ME |
| Mount Chase and Phillips 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% |
20.7%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
19.5%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mount Chase and Phillips 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% |
21.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Chase and Strong 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% |
20.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±5.7 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Phillips and Mount Chase 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 |
$45,385±$12k 39% below ME |
$47,557±$10kHighest 36% below ME |
| Strong and Phillips 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 |
$190,800±$18kHighest 36% below ME |
$183,900±$29k 38% below ME |
| Phillips and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,281±$1kHighest 12% above ME |
$483±$377Lowest 58% below ME |
$920±$276 19% below ME |
| Mount Chase and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,548Lowest 49% below ME |
$2,582Highest 15% below ME |
$1,950 36% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 28.6%±100 ME: 48.4% |
40.4%±33Highest ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Phillips 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% |
17.7% ME: 10.7% |
13.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
83.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 9% above ME |
23 minLowest 8% below ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 22.2%±12.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.8%±7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Chase and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | RSU 58/MSAD 58 |
| High school in town | — | None 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.