Compare towns
Perham vs Brooks vs Wade
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Perham has the most affordable homes ($118k median).
Brooks has the most people working from home (14.5%).
Wade has the oldest housing (typical home built 1951).
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 | Perham | Brooks | Wade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 326 |
1,208Highest |
244Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -6.3% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 53±12.9 18% above ME |
45.9±6.6Lowest about the ME average |
53.6±18.5Highest 20% above ME |
| Wade and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.6%±8.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±6.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Perham and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.5%±2.3 ME: 22.4% |
17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
34.8%±10.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wade and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 18.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
27.5% ME: 36.2% |
33.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.4%±4.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $62,500±$22kHighest 16% below ME |
$59,130±$10k 21% below ME |
$41,818±$25kLowest 44% below ME |
| Perham and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $117,600±$9kLowest 60% below ME |
$196,700±$33kHighest 34% below ME |
$157,100±$109k 47% below ME |
| Brooks and Wade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,116±$112 about the ME average |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,641Lowest 46% below ME |
$2,096Highest 31% below ME |
$1,655 45% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
18%±17.3 ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Perham and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
78.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 1 yr older than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
25 min about the ME average |
34 minHighest 37% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.4%±7.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±2.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±6.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Brooks and Wade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | — |
| 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.