Compare towns
Patten vs Bingham vs Mount Chase
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 (28.7%).
Bingham has the most affordable homes ($103k median).
Mount Chase has the most kids (22.1% under 18).
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 | Bingham | Mount Chase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,154Highest |
660 |
280Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -13.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-6.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 57.8±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
56±8.2 25% above ME |
49.9±10.9Lowest 11% 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 | 11.3%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.6%±6.8 ME: 18.1% |
22.1%±10.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Mount Chase and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 38.5%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
38.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
28.9%±6.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Patten and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25.1% ME: 36.2% |
22.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
32.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±5.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $51,484±$6kHighest 31% below ME |
$42,708±$22k 43% below ME |
$41,711±$7kLowest 44% below ME |
| Patten and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $127,600±$49kHighest 57% below ME |
$103,000±$26kLowest 65% below ME |
$115,700±$15k 61% below ME |
| Patten and Mount Chase 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 |
$354±$264Lowest 69% below ME |
$1,281±$1kHighest 12% above ME |
| Mount Chase and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,199 61% below ME |
$1,059Lowest 65% below ME |
$1,548Highest 49% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56%±64.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±45.9 ME: 48.4% |
28.6%±100Lowest 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 | 23.2% ME: 10.7% |
16.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
30.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.9% ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966 11 yrs older than ME |
1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 13% above ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
27 minLowest 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 28.7%±19.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.2%±12.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Patten and Mount Chase 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.