Compare towns
Starks vs Jay vs Bridgewater
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 homeowners (90%).
Jay has grown the fastest since 2010 (-4.8%).
Bridgewater has the most people working from home (7.5%).
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 | Jay | Bridgewater |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 556 |
4,657Highest |
484Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.3% ME: +2.6% |
-4.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.7±9.4 4% above ME |
39.5±5.1Lowest 12% below ME |
48.8±8Highest 9% above ME |
| Bridgewater and Starks 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% |
17.5%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Jay and Bridgewater 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% |
19.3%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.5%±2.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21% ME: 36.2% |
29.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
18.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Jay and Bridgewater 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 |
$70,238±$19kHighest 6% below ME |
$65,417±$15k 12% below ME |
| Jay and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $148,500±$27kLowest 50% below ME |
$168,600±$27kHighest 43% below ME |
$154,900±$78k 48% below ME |
| Jay and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,063±$301Highest 7% below ME |
$759±$141Lowest 33% below ME |
$768±$116 33% below ME |
| Starks and Bridgewater 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 |
$2,245Highest 26% below ME |
$1,417 53% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.5%±90.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
27.2%±28.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
38.9%±59.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Starks and Bridgewater 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% |
9.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 33% above ME |
21 minLowest 13% below ME |
22 min 10% below ME |
| Work from home | 3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
7.5%±5.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Bridgewater and Jay 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 | — | #86 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 73 | — |
| High school in town | — | Spruce Mountain High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.7 |
— |
| 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.