What stands out worked out from the figures below

Perry has the most kids (24.1% under 18).

Beals has the most expensive homes ($257k median).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Perry	Beals
People
Population	744Highest	498Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-9.8%Highest ME: +2.6%	-12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6%
Median age	45.5±11.4Lowest about the ME average	48±15.6Highest 7% above ME
	Beals and Perry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	24.1%±4.4Highest ME: 18.1%	16.1%±6.5Lowest ME: 18.1%
	Perry and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	21%±6.2Lowest ME: 22.4%	30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4%
	Beals and Perry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	31.6%Lowest ME: 36.2%	37.6%Highest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8%	5.8%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8%
	Beals and Perry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$82,056±$4kHighest 10% above ME	$64,063±$14kLowest 14% below ME
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$196,400±$13kLowest 34% below ME	$256,700±$45kHighest 13% below ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$907±$378 20% below ME
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,132Highest 3% above ME	$2,580Lowest 15% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	27.3%±100Highest ME: 48.4%	7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4%
	Perry and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7%	10.8%Highest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	91.8%Highest ME: 74.3%	83.9%Lowest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME	1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minHighest 6% above ME	21 minLowest 17% below ME
Work from home	23.4%±11.9Highest ME: 15.9%	17.6%±10.9Lowest ME: 15.9%
	Perry and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Perry Public Schools	Beals Public Schools
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.