Compare towns
Patten vs Castle Hill vs Bingham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Patten has the most people working from home (24.3%).
Castle Hill has the most expensive homes ($145k median).
Bingham has the youngest population (median age 56).
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 | Patten | Castle Hill | Bingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 607 |
281Lowest |
660Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | — | -6.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 56.1±5.8 25% above ME |
57.8±15.8Highest 29% above ME |
56±8.2Lowest 25% above ME |
| Castle Hill and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.5%±4.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±5.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.6%±6.8 ME: 18.1% |
| Patten and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 32.9%±5.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
44.8%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
38.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Castle Hill and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.7% ME: 36.2% |
22.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±5.3 ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Bingham and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $45,750±$19k 39% below ME |
$54,250±$14kHighest 27% below ME |
$42,708±$22kLowest 43% below ME |
| Castle Hill and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $83,000±$51kLowest 72% below ME |
$145,300±$18kHighest 51% below ME |
$103,000±$26k 65% below ME |
| Castle Hill and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $389±$99 66% below ME |
$950±$574Highest 17% below ME |
$354±$264Lowest 69% below ME |
| Castle Hill and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $857Lowest 72% below ME |
$1,449Highest 52% below ME |
$1,059 65% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56%±58.6 ME: 48.4% |
75%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±45.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Castle Hill and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 28.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
16.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1955 22 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 24.3%±24.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Patten and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | — | RSU 83/MSAD 13 |
| High school in town | — | — | Upper Kennebec Valley Middle/Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 7.3 |
| 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.