Compare towns
Perham vs Sidney 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).
Sidney has the most expensive homes ($336k median).
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 | Sidney | Wade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 326 |
4,790Highest |
244Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +10.4% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 53±12.9 18% above ME |
43±5.5Lowest 4% below 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%±8.5 ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±6.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Perham 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% |
18.4%±3.6Lowest 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% |
33.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
0.4%±4.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Perham and Sidney 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 |
$83,488±$10kHighest 12% above ME |
$41,818±$25kLowest 44% below ME |
| Sidney 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 |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
$157,100±$109k 47% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,340±$304 18% above ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,641Lowest 46% below ME |
$2,474Highest 19% below ME |
$1,655 45% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Perham and Sidney 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% |
6.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.4% ME: 74.3% |
78.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 1 yr older than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
34 minHighest 37% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.4%±7.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±6.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Sidney and Wade 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.