Compare towns
Orient vs Jefferson vs Meddybemps
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Orient has the most people working from home (81%).
Jefferson has the most kids (28% under 18).
Meddybemps has the most affordable homes ($295k 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 | Orient | Jefferson | Meddybemps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 137Lowest |
2,647Highest |
139 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +5.1% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 62±9 38% above ME |
38.1±4.9Lowest 15% below ME |
63.9±4.2Highest 43% above ME |
| Meddybemps and Orient are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.8%±18.9 ME: 18.1% |
28%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
5%±21.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Jefferson and Orient are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 46%±10.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
39.6%±15.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Orient and Meddybemps are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25% ME: 36.2% |
27.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
14.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0%±11.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.6%±2.5 ME: 5.8% |
5%±10.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Meddybemps and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | — | $85,078±$17kHighest 14% above ME |
$48,000±$13kLowest 36% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $548,600±$183kHighest 85% above ME |
$311,600±$35k 5% above ME |
$295,000±$73kLowest about the ME average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,120±$130 about the ME average |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | — | $2,587Highest 15% below ME |
$1,206Lowest 60% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
29.8%±25.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 35.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
7.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
83.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.1% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | — | 30 minLowest 23% above ME |
31 minHighest 28% above ME |
| Work from home | 81%±44Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.9%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
5.4%±7.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #45 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | Jefferson Public Schools | — |
| High school 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.