What stands out worked out from the figures below

Standish has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.7%).

Whitingham has the most affordable homes ($262k 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	Standish	Whitingham
People
Population	10,662Highest	1,368Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	40.5±2.8Lowest 4% above U.S.	46.4±7.1Highest 19% above U.S.
	Whitingham and Standish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	16.4%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 22%	19.8%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22%
	Whitingham and Standish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	15.2%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	31.1%±2.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	36%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	32.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	11.6%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.2%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$104,593±$15kHighest 30% above U.S.	$70,625±$11kLowest 13% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$336,000±$18kHighest about the U.S. average	$262,300±$30kLowest 21% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$983±$453Highest 30% below U.S.	$673±$150Lowest 52% below U.S.
	Standish and Whitingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,005Lowest 4% below U.S.	$5,055Highest 62% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	57.4%±22.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	62.7%±47.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Whitingham and Standish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	15.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	91.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	85.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest same as U.S.	1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minLowest 11% above U.S.	38 minHighest 44% above U.S.
Work from home	13.6%±3.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%	9.7%±5.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Standish and Whitingham 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	#18 of 133 in ME	—
School district	RSU 06/MSAD 06	Twin Valley Unified School District #75
High school in town	Bonny Eagle High School	Twin Valley Middle High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.5Highest	7.8Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.