Compare towns
Starks vs Poland 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%).
Poland has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.9%).
Bridgewater has the shortest commute (22 min average).
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 | Poland | Bridgewater |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 556 |
5,954Highest |
484Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.3% ME: +2.6% |
+9.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.7±9.4 4% above ME |
44.2±9.4Lowest about the ME average |
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% |
21.4%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Poland 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% |
17.8%±4.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.5%±2.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21% ME: 36.2% |
23.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
18.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Poland 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 |
$85,557±$23kHighest 14% above ME |
$65,417±$15k 12% below ME |
| Poland 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 |
$283,600±$44kHighest 4% below ME |
$154,900±$78k 48% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,063±$301 7% below ME |
$1,198±$128Highest 5% above ME |
$768±$116Lowest 33% below ME |
| Poland and Starks 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 |
$2,774Highest 9% below ME |
$1,417 53% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
61.6%±30.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
38.9%±59.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Poland and Starks 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% |
16.6% ME: 10.7% |
12%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 33% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
22 minLowest 10% below ME |
| Work from home | 3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±10.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.5%±5.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Poland and Bridgewater 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 | — | #81 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 16 | — |
| High school in town | — | Poland Regional H S | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.2 |
— |
| 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.