Compare towns
Patten vs Starks 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%).
Starks has the highest household income ($64k).
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 | Starks | Mount Chase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,154Highest |
556 |
280Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -13.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 57.8±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
46.7±9.4Lowest 4% above 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% |
16.4%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
22.1%±10.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Mount Chase and Starks 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% |
20.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
28.9%±6.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25.1% ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
32.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±5.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Mount Chase and Patten 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 |
$63,500±$8kHighest 15% below ME |
$41,711±$7kLowest 44% below ME |
| Starks and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $127,600±$49k 57% below ME |
$148,500±$27kHighest 50% below ME |
$115,700±$15kLowest 61% below ME |
| Starks and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $389±$99Lowest 66% below ME |
$1,063±$301 7% below ME |
$1,281±$1kHighest 12% above ME |
| Mount Chase and Starks 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 |
$1,348 56% below ME |
$1,548Highest 49% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56%±64.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
28.6%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Patten and Starks 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% |
19.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
30.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 11 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
33 minHighest 33% above ME |
27 minLowest 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 28.7%±19.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4Lowest 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. | |||
| 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.