Compare towns
Sumner vs Castle Hill vs Buckfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sumner has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Castle Hill has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Buckfield has the most expensive homes ($228k 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.
| Measure | Sumner | Castle Hill | Buckfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 845 |
281Lowest |
2,403Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— | -1.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 56.1±8.4 25% above ME |
57.8±15.8Highest 29% above ME |
37.7±10.1Lowest 16% below ME |
| Castle Hill and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±6.9 ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±5.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
25.7%±7.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Buckfield and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.7%±5.2 ME: 22.4% |
44.8%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
13.7%±2.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±5.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Castle Hill and Buckfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $57,750±$19k 23% below ME |
$54,250±$14kLowest 27% below ME |
$77,917±$41kHighest 4% above ME |
| Buckfield and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $150,000±$73k 49% below ME |
$145,300±$18kLowest 51% below ME |
$227,700±$18kHighest 23% below ME |
| Buckfield and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $950±$574Highest 17% below ME |
$521±$33Lowest 54% below ME |
| Castle Hill and Buckfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,167 29% below ME |
$1,449Lowest 52% below ME |
$2,860Highest 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
75%±100 ME: 48.4% |
0%±55Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Sumner and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
5.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.3% ME: 74.3% |
94.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 42 minHighest 72% above ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
31 min 25% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.5%±8Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±12.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Sumner and Buckfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 10 | — | RSU 10 |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Buckfield Jr-Sr High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.2 |
| 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.