Compare towns
Stow vs Bingham vs Lovell
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Stow has the most expensive homes ($326k median).
Bingham has the most affordable homes ($103k median).
Lovell has the highest household income ($81k).
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 | Stow | Bingham | Lovell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 535Lowest |
660 |
1,353Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -6.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 57±10.5Highest 27% above ME |
56±8.2 25% above ME |
52.2±3.5Lowest 17% above ME |
| Stow and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.7%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.6%±6.8 ME: 18.1% |
15.4%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Stow and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 37.9%±17.8 ME: 22.4% |
38.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.5%±3.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bingham and Stow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.4% ME: 36.2% |
22.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
36.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±2.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6.3%±4.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Lovell and Stow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $42,204±$22kLowest 44% below ME |
$42,708±$22k 43% below ME |
$80,625±$20kHighest 8% above ME |
| Lovell and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $326,400±$42kHighest 10% above ME |
$103,000±$26kLowest 65% below ME |
$295,000±$47k about the ME average |
| Stow and Lovell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $354±$264Lowest 69% below ME |
$1,419±$178Highest 25% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,304Highest 9% above ME |
$1,059Lowest 65% below ME |
$1,480 51% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 20%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±45.9 ME: 48.4% |
45.3%±29.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Lovell and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
16.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 96.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1998Highest 21 yrs newer than ME |
1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 51 minHighest 109% above ME |
28 minLowest 13% above ME |
31 min 28% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.7%±12 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.8%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Lovell and Stow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | RSU 83/MSAD 13 | RSU 72/MSAD 72 |
| High school in town | — | Upper Kennebec Valley Middle/Senior High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 7.3 |
— |
| 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.