Compare towns
Northfield vs Thorndike
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Northfield has the oldest population (median age 62.1).
Thorndike has the most people working from home (44.7%).
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 | Northfield | Thorndike |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 263Lowest |
1,403Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -13% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 62.1±16.2Highest 39% above ME |
19.3±23.6Lowest 57% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 11.4%±7.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
49.8%±28.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 39.2%±9.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.7%±6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.5%±4.4 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $68,333±$52kLowest 9% below ME |
$78,438±$14kHighest 5% above ME |
| Thorndike and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $198,600±$64kLowest 33% below ME |
$205,600±$88kHighest 31% below ME |
| Thorndike and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $836±$317 27% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,773Lowest 42% below ME |
$2,537Highest 16% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | — | 36%±62.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 20.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
87.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Lowest 2 yrs older than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest about the ME average |
36 minHighest 46% above ME |
| Work from home | 3.2%±2.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
44.7%±35.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| School district | — | RSU 03/MSAD 03 |
| High school in town | — | Mt View High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.7 |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.