Compare towns
Roxbury vs Stoneham vs Crystal
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Roxbury has the most affordable homes ($106k median).
Stoneham has the most people working from home (40.7%).
Crystal has the most kids (16.2% under 18).
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 | Roxbury | Stoneham | Crystal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 352Highest |
271 |
247Lowest |
| Median age | 59.8±3.4Lowest 33% above ME |
60.6±7.1 35% above ME |
63.2±8.4Highest 41% above ME |
| Crystal and Stoneham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 6%±6.7 ME: 18.1% |
5.9%±7.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±11.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Crystal and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.6%±10.8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
41%±17.8 ME: 22.4% |
49%±5.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Crystal and Stoneham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
37.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.6%±3.2 ME: 5.8% |
14.8%±13.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
0%±6.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Stoneham and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $51,667±$34k 31% below ME |
$63,750±$27kHighest 15% below ME |
$48,125±$13kLowest 36% below ME |
| Stoneham and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $105,800±$48kLowest 64% below ME |
$226,200±$32kHighest 24% below ME |
$129,200±$60k 56% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,125±$383Lowest about the ME average |
$1,563±$922Highest 37% above ME |
| Crystal and Stoneham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $850Lowest 72% below ME |
$1,426Highest 53% below ME |
$943 69% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | — | 66.7%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
14.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Stoneham and Crystal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.4% ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
14.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1974 3 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
29 minHighest 18% above ME |
27 minLowest 10% above ME |
| Work from home | 5.2%±5.7 ME: 15.9% |
40.7%±15.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
0%±15.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| 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.