What stands out worked out from the figures below

Princeton has the most people working from home (9.6%).

Mars Hill has the most expensive homes ($164k 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	Princeton	Mars Hill
People
Population	866Lowest	1,398Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-10.5%Lowest ME: +2.6%	-8.9%Highest ME: +2.6%
Median age	39.1±9.4Lowest 13% below ME	43.4±3Highest 3% below ME
	Mars Hill and Princeton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	28.2%±6Highest ME: 18.1%	22.9%±5.7Lowest ME: 18.1%
	Princeton and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.7%±3.4Lowest ME: 22.4%	24.5%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4%
	Mars Hill and Princeton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	24.5%Lowest ME: 36.2%	26%Highest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.3%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8%	4.8%±3.4Highest ME: 5.8%
	Mars Hill and Princeton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$56,406±$26kLowest 25% below ME	$65,273±$9kHighest 13% below ME
	Mars Hill and Princeton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$120,800±$82kLowest 59% below ME	$163,600±$23kHighest 45% below ME
	Mars Hill and Princeton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$675±$351Highest 41% below ME	$488±$96Lowest 57% below ME
	Princeton and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,573Lowest 48% below ME	$1,843Highest 39% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	57.7%±23.1Highest ME: 48.4%	30.6%±7.1Lowest ME: 48.4%
	Princeton and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	15.3%Highest ME: 10.7%	9.6%Lowest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	74.3%Highest ME: 74.3%	70.6%Lowest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME	1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	22 minHighest 13% below ME	21 minLowest 14% below ME
Work from home	9.6%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9%	6.9%±6.6Lowest ME: 15.9%
	Princeton and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Princeton Public Schools	RSU 42/MSAD 42
High school in town	None in town	Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S
Students per teacherat that high school	—	8.0
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.