Compare towns
Starks vs Millinocket 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 grown the fastest since 2010 (-7.3%).
Millinocket has the most affordable homes ($104k median).
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 | Millinocket | Bridgewater |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 556 |
4,115Highest |
484Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-8.7% ME: +2.6% |
-12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.7±9.4Lowest 4% above ME |
54.2±6.2Highest 21% above ME |
48.8±8 9% above ME |
| Millinocket and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±5.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Bridgewater and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
36.2%±8.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
27.5%±2.8 ME: 22.4% |
| Millinocket and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21%Highest ME: 36.2% |
18.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
18.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Millinocket 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±$8k 15% below ME |
$51,007±$9kLowest 32% below ME |
$65,417±$15kHighest 12% below ME |
| Bridgewater and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $148,500±$27k 50% below ME |
$103,800±$26kLowest 65% below ME |
$154,900±$78kHighest 48% below ME |
| Bridgewater and Starks 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 |
$451±$130Lowest 60% 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 |
$1,580Highest 48% below ME |
$1,417 53% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.5%±90.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
20.5%±11Lowest 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% |
17.1% ME: 10.7% |
12%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1956Lowest 21 yrs older than ME |
1971 6 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 33% above ME |
24 min about the ME average |
22 minLowest 10% below ME |
| Work from home | 3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
6.6%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
7.5%±5.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Bridgewater and Millinocket 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 | — | #98 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | Millinocket Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | — | Stearns Jr-Sr High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.6 |
— |
| 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.