Compare towns
Mount Chase vs Starks vs Wade
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%).
Starks has the highest household income ($64k).
Wade has the most renters (21.7% rent).
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 | Starks | Wade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 280 |
556Highest |
244Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -7.3% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 49.9±10.9 11% above ME |
46.7±9.4Lowest 4% above ME |
53.6±18.5Highest 20% above ME |
| Wade and Mount Chase 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% |
16.4%±4.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±6.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mount Chase and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 28.9%±6.3 ME: 22.4% |
20.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
34.8%±10.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wade and Mount Chase are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 32.1% ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
33.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±5.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
0.4%±4.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mount Chase and Starks 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 |
$63,500±$8kHighest 15% below ME |
$41,818±$25k 44% below ME |
| Starks and Wade 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 |
$148,500±$27k 50% below ME |
$157,100±$109kHighest 47% below ME |
| Wade and Starks 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 |
$1,063±$301Lowest 7% below ME |
— |
| Mount Chase and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,548 49% below ME |
$1,348Lowest 56% below ME |
$1,655Highest 45% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 28.6%±100 ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±90.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Starks 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% |
19.2% ME: 10.7% |
4.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 9% above ME |
33 min 33% above ME |
34 minHighest 37% above ME |
| Work from home | 22.2%±12.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±6.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Chase and Wade 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.