Compare towns
Perham vs Exeter 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 shortest commute (25 min average).
Exeter has the highest household income ($84k).
Wade has the most renters (21.7% rent).
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 | Exeter | Wade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 326 |
1,093Highest |
244Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -11.8% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 53±12.9 18% above ME |
52.6±7.7Lowest 17% above ME |
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% |
9%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±6.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Perham and Wade 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% |
23.9%±11.4Lowest 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% ME: 36.2% |
15%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
33.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.4%±4.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Exeter 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±$22k 16% below ME |
$84,408±$12kHighest 13% above ME |
$41,818±$25kLowest 44% below ME |
| Exeter and Perham 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 |
$166,700±$39kHighest 44% below ME |
$157,100±$109k 47% below ME |
| Exeter and Wade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $995±$386 13% below ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,641 46% below ME |
$1,602Lowest 47% below ME |
$1,655Highest 45% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±73.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 2.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.5% ME: 74.3% |
93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 1 yr older than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
35 minHighest 43% above ME |
34 min 37% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.4%±7.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±5.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±6.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Exeter and Wade 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.