Compare towns
Patten vs Sidney 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%).
Sidney has the most expensive homes ($336k median).
Mount Chase has the most affordable homes ($116k 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 | Patten | Sidney | Mount Chase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,154 |
4,790Highest |
280Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -13.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 57.8±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
43±5.5Lowest 4% below ME |
49.9±10.9 11% above ME |
| Patten and Mount Chase 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% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.1%±10.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Mount Chase 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% |
18.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
28.9%±6.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
33.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
32.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±5.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Mount Chase and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $51,484±$6k 31% below ME |
$83,488±$10kHighest 12% above ME |
$41,711±$7kLowest 44% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $127,600±$49k 57% below ME |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
$115,700±$15kLowest 61% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $389±$99Lowest 66% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
$1,281±$1k 12% above ME |
| Sidney and Mount Chase are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,199Lowest 61% below ME |
$2,474Highest 19% below ME |
$1,548 49% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56%±64.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
28.6%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Patten and Mount Chase 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% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
30.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.4% ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 11 yrs older than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 13% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 28.7%±19.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9Lowest 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 | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #15 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 18 | — |
| 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.