Compare towns
Starks vs Croydon vs Mercer
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Starks has the most affordable homes ($149k median).
Croydon has the highest household income ($98k).
Mercer has the most people working from home (20.5%).
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 | Starks | Croydon | Mercer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 556Lowest |
798Highest |
718 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.7±9.4Highest 20% above U.S. |
43±9.1Lowest 11% above U.S. |
43.4±4.5 12% above U.S. |
| Starks and Mercer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19%±6.3 U.S.: 22% |
20.1%±6.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Mercer and Croydon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.4%±3.6Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.9%±5.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Croydon and Mercer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
21.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
34.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.9%±2.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±3.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.7%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Croydon and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $63,500±$8kLowest 21% below U.S. |
$98,333±$21kHighest 22% above U.S. |
$71,107±$2k 12% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $148,500±$27kLowest 55% below U.S. |
$317,300±$33kHighest 5% below U.S. |
$238,500±$32k 28% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,063±$301 25% below U.S. |
$991±$336Lowest 30% below U.S. |
$1,422±$249Highest about the U.S. average |
| Mercer and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,348Lowest 57% below U.S. |
$3,806Highest 22% above U.S. |
$1,970 37% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.5%±90.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
7.1%±75.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
18.5%±74 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Starks and Mercer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90% U.S.: 65.2% |
86.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
92.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S. |
1981Lowest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1987 7 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
30 min 15% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 3.3%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
5.3%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
20.5%±8.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Croydon School District | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.