Compare towns
Perham vs Springfield vs Sumner
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).
Springfield has the most homeowners (96.2%).
Sumner has the most people working from home (18.5%).
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 | Springfield | Sumner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 326 |
310Lowest |
845Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | — | +5.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 53±12.9 18% above ME |
52.4±7Lowest 17% above ME |
56.1±8.4Highest 25% above ME |
| Sumner 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% |
18.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±6.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Perham and Springfield 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% |
21.6%±5.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.7%±5.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Sumner 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
17.3% ME: 36.2% |
15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.6%±3.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Perham and Sumner 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 |
$60,833±$23k 19% below ME |
$57,750±$19kLowest 23% below ME |
| Perham and Springfield 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 |
$122,500±$28k 59% below ME |
$150,000±$73kHighest 49% below ME |
| Sumner and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,641 46% below ME |
$1,067Lowest 65% below ME |
$2,167Highest 29% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
— | 100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Sumner and Perham 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% |
5.5% ME: 10.7% |
5.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.5% ME: 74.3% |
96.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
91.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
30 min 21% above ME |
42 minHighest 72% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.4%±7.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
9.6%±5.2 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Sumner and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | — | RSU 10 |
| 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.