Compare towns
Strong vs Brooks vs Milbridge
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 affordable homes ($184k median).
Brooks has the most renters (25.4% rent).
Milbridge has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.6%).
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 | Brooks | Milbridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,249Highest |
1,208Lowest |
1,222 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-6.3% ME: +2.6% |
+1.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.5±8.9 6% above ME |
45.9±6.6Lowest about the ME average |
50.3±6.2Highest 12% above ME |
| Milbridge 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% |
17.1%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.5%±4.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Milbridge and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
30.2%±5.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Milbridge and Strong 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% |
27.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
24.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.2%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks 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 |
$59,130±$10k 21% below ME |
$60,536±$16kHighest 19% below ME |
| Milbridge and Brooks 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 |
$196,700±$33k 34% below ME |
$240,400±$31kHighest 19% below ME |
| Milbridge and Brooks 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 |
$1,116±$112Highest about the ME average |
$619±$186Lowest 46% below ME |
| Brooks 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 |
$2,096Highest 31% below ME |
$2,022 33% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 20.9%±52.4 ME: 48.4% |
18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
45.8%±22.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Milbridge and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
18.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6% ME: 74.3% |
74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1974 3 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 26% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
18 minLowest 26% below ME |
| Work from home | 18.5%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±2.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.9%±6.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Milbridge and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 37/MSAD 37 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.