What stands out worked out from the figures below

Stetson has the most expensive homes ($206k median).

Perham has the most affordable homes ($118k median).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Stetson	Perham
People
Population	1,151Highest	326Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.3% ME: +2.6%	—
Median age	42.2±5.1Lowest 6% below ME	53±12.9Highest 18% above ME
	Perham and Stetson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	22.4%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1%	19.6%±8.5Lowest ME: 18.1%
	Stetson and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	14.2%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4%	24.5%±2.3Highest ME: 22.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	19.8%Highest ME: 36.2%	18.7%Lowest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.4%±2Highest ME: 5.8%	2.5%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8%
	Stetson and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$76,023±$28kHighest about the ME average	$62,500±$22kLowest 16% below ME
	Stetson and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$205,700±$34kHighest 31% below ME	$117,600±$9kLowest 60% below ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$800±$377 30% below ME	—
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,962Highest 35% below ME	$1,641Lowest 46% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	73.7%±42Highest ME: 48.4%	33.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4%
	Stetson and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	10.4%Highest ME: 10.7%	2.5%Lowest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	87.9%Lowest ME: 74.3%	92.5%Highest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1993Highest 16 yrs newer than ME	1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minHighest 29% above ME	25 minLowest about the ME average
Work from home	11%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9%	8.4%±7.2Lowest ME: 15.9%
	Stetson and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.