Compare towns
Prospect vs Patten 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 most kids (25.2% under 18).
Patten has the most people working from home (28.7%).
Searsport has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.3%).
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 | Patten | Searsport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 923Lowest |
1,154 |
2,655Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.6% ME: +2.6% |
-13.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+1.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.2±7.5 about the ME average |
57.8±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
42.9±7.2Lowest 4% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 25.2%±10.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.3%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.8%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Prospect and Searsport 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% |
38.5%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
23.7%±7.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
25.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
23.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.6%±1 ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.4%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Searsport and Prospect 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 |
$51,484±$6kLowest 31% 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 |
$127,600±$49kLowest 57% 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±$61Highest about the ME average |
$389±$99Lowest 66% below ME |
$1,105±$87 about the ME average |
| Prospect and Searsport 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 |
$1,199Lowest 61% below ME |
$2,225Highest 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31.3%±42Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56%±64.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
48.2%±25.4 ME: 48.4% |
| Patten and Searsport 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% |
23.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
14.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.5% ME: 74.3% |
69.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1998Highest 21 yrs newer than ME |
1966Lowest 11 yrs older than ME |
1975 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 34% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
22 minLowest 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.2%±3.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
28.7%±19.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
20.2%±9.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Patten 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.