Compare towns
Prospect vs Mount Chase vs Searsport
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Prospect has the highest household income ($81k).
Mount Chase has the most affordable homes ($116k median).
Searsport has the most renters (30.6% 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 | Prospect | Mount Chase | Searsport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 923 |
280Lowest |
2,655Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— | +1.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.2±7.5 about the ME average |
49.9±10.9Highest 11% above ME |
42.9±7.2Lowest 4% below ME |
| Mount Chase and Prospect are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 25.2%±10.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.1%±10.6 ME: 18.1% |
15.8%±5.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Prospect and Mount Chase are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.8%±1.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
28.9%±6.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
23.7%±7.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Chase and Searsport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
32.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
23.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.6%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±5.7 ME: 5.8% |
4.4%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Searsport and Mount Chase are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $81,250±$17kHighest 9% above ME |
$41,711±$7kLowest 44% below ME |
$64,303±$19k 14% below ME |
| Prospect and Searsport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $196,500±$19k 34% below ME |
$115,700±$15kLowest 61% below ME |
$224,400±$78kHighest 24% below ME |
| Searsport and Prospect are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,107±$61 about the ME average |
$1,281±$1kHighest 12% above ME |
$1,105±$87Lowest about the ME average |
| Mount Chase and Prospect are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,979 35% below ME |
$1,548Lowest 49% below ME |
$2,225Highest 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31.3%±42 ME: 48.4% |
28.6%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
48.2%±25.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Searsport and Prospect are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
30.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
14.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.8% ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
69.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1998Highest 21 yrs newer than ME |
1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1975Lowest 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 34% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
22 minLowest 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.2%±3.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22.2%±12.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
20.2%±9.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Chase and Searsport 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 | — | — | #109 of 133 in ME |
| School district | — | — | RSU 20 |
| High school in town | — | — | Searsport District High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 8.2 |
| 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.