Compare towns
Starks vs Hampden vs Mercer
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Starks has the most affordable homes ($149k median).
Hampden has the highest household income ($112k).
Mercer has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.8%).
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 | Hampden | Mercer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 556Lowest |
7,896Highest |
718 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.2% ME: +2.6% |
+6.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.7±9.4Highest 4% above ME |
41±2.9Lowest 8% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| 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 ME: 18.1% |
25.8%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.1%±6.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Mercer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.3%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
17.2%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.9%±5.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Mercer and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
45.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.9%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±2.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Hampden 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 15% below ME |
$111,959±$13kHighest 50% above ME |
$71,107±$2k 5% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $148,500±$27kLowest 50% below ME |
$301,300±$38kHighest about the ME average |
$238,500±$32k 20% below ME |
| Hampden and Mercer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,063±$301Lowest 7% below ME |
$1,286±$317 13% above ME |
$1,422±$249Highest 25% above ME |
| Mercer and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,348Lowest 56% below ME |
$3,694Highest 22% above ME |
$1,970 35% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.5%±90.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
22.2%±15.1 ME: 48.4% |
18.5%±74Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Starks and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90% ME: 74.3% |
85.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 33% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.3%±5.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
20.5%±8.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden and Mercer 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 | — | #6 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 22 | — |
| High school in town | — | Hampden Academy | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.8 |
— |
| 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.