Compare towns
Solon vs Mount Chase vs Bingham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Solon has the highest household income ($69k).
Mount Chase has the most people working from home (22.2%).
Bingham has the oldest population (median age 56).
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 | Solon | Mount Chase | Bingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 963Highest |
280Lowest |
660 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— | -6.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±5.4Lowest about the ME average |
49.9±10.9 11% above ME |
56±8.2Highest 25% above ME |
| Bingham and Mount Chase are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
22.1%±10.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.6%±6.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mount Chase and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
28.9%±6.3 ME: 22.4% |
38.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bingham and Mount Chase are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25% ME: 36.2% |
32.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.3%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±5.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,205±$20kHighest 7% below ME |
$41,711±$7kLowest 44% below ME |
$42,708±$22k 43% below ME |
| Solon and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $183,600±$12kHighest 38% below ME |
$115,700±$15k 61% below ME |
$103,000±$26kLowest 65% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $915±$100 20% below ME |
$1,281±$1kHighest 12% above ME |
$354±$264Lowest 69% below ME |
| Mount Chase and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,854Highest 39% below ME |
$1,548 49% below ME |
$1,059Lowest 65% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 14.6%±48.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
28.6%±100 ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±45.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Bingham and Mount Chase are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
30.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
16.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.6% ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 52 minHighest 113% above ME |
27 minLowest 9% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 9.1%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
22.2%±12.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Chase and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 74/MSAD 74 | — | RSU 83/MSAD 13 |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Upper Kennebec Valley Middle/Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 7.3 |
| 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.