Compare towns
Strong vs Beals vs New Vineyard
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Beals has the most expensive homes ($257k median).
New Vineyard has grown the fastest since 2010 (-4.8%).
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 | Strong | Beals | New Vineyard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,249Highest |
498Lowest |
607 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.5% ME: +2.6% |
-12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-4.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.5±8.9Lowest 6% above ME |
48±15.6Highest 7% above ME |
47.5±9.5Lowest 6% above ME |
| Beals and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.5%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±6.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.5%±6.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| New Vineyard and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
27%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Beals and New Vineyard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26.5% ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
20%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
5.8%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Beals and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $47,557±$10kLowest 36% below ME |
$64,063±$14kHighest 14% below ME |
$61,806±$19k 17% below ME |
| Beals and New Vineyard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $183,900±$29kLowest 38% below ME |
$256,700±$45kHighest 13% below ME |
$190,000±$76k 36% below ME |
| Beals and New Vineyard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $920±$276 19% below ME |
$907±$378Lowest 20% below ME |
$925±$490Highest 19% below ME |
| New Vineyard and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,950Lowest 36% below ME |
$2,580Highest 15% below ME |
$2,136 30% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 20.9%±52.4 ME: 48.4% |
7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
66.7%±5.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| New Vineyard and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.9% ME: 10.7% |
10.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
22.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6% ME: 74.3% |
83.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 26% above ME |
21 minLowest 17% below ME |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
17.6%±10.9 ME: 15.9% |
16.7%±8.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | Beals Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| 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.