Compare towns
Patten vs Sidney 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%).
Sidney has the most expensive homes ($336k median).
Bingham has the oldest housing (typical home built 1952).
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 | Sidney | Bingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 607Lowest |
4,790Highest |
660 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-6.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 56.1±5.8Highest 25% above ME |
43±5.5Lowest 4% below ME |
56±8.2 25% above ME |
| Patten and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.5%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.6%±6.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 32.9%±5.6 ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
38.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bingham and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.6% ME: 36.2% |
33.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.6%±2.7 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Bingham and Patten 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 |
$83,488±$10kHighest 12% above ME |
$42,708±$22kLowest 43% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $83,000±$51kLowest 72% below ME |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
$103,000±$26k 65% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $389±$99 66% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
$354±$264Lowest 69% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $857Lowest 72% below ME |
$2,474Highest 19% below ME |
$1,059 65% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56%±58.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±45.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Patten and Bingham 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% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
16.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1955 22 yrs older than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
25 min about the ME average |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 24.3%±24.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Patten and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #15 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 18 | RSU 83/MSAD 13 |
| High school in town | — | None 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.