Compare towns
Strong vs Brooks vs Sullivan
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%).
Brooks has the most renters (25.4% rent).
Sullivan has grown the fastest since 2010 (-1.4%).
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 | Sullivan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,249Highest |
1,208Lowest |
1,246 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-6.3% ME: +2.6% |
-1.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
45.9±6.6Lowest about the ME average |
47.1±15 5% above ME |
| Strong and Sullivan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.5%±3.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18%±5.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Strong and Sullivan 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% |
22.5%±2.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Sullivan 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% |
26%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±4 ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Sullivan 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 |
$59,643±$14kHighest 20% below ME |
| Sullivan 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 |
$222,000±$33kHighest 25% below ME |
| Sullivan 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 |
$883±$114Lowest 22% 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 |
$2,096 31% below ME |
$2,228Highest 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 20.9%±52.4 ME: 48.4% |
18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
34.9%±23.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Sullivan 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% |
19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
13.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6% ME: 74.3% |
74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 26% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
12.6%±7.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Brooks 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 24 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Sumner Memorial High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.5 |
| 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.