Compare towns
Temple vs Jay vs Cambridge
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Temple has the most kids (32.8% under 18).
Jay has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Cambridge has the most expensive homes ($215k 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 | Temple | Jay | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 824 |
4,657Highest |
532Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 34±14Lowest 24% below ME |
39.5±5.1Highest 12% below ME |
38.7±1.1 14% below ME |
| Jay and Cambridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 32.8%±7.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.5%±5.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±8.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Temple and Cambridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15%±6.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.6%±8 ME: 22.4% |
| Jay and Cambridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 13.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
29.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Jay and Temple are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $56,087±$2kLowest 25% below ME |
$70,238±$19kHighest 6% below ME |
$63,194±$39k 15% below ME |
| Jay and Cambridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,200±$79k 29% below ME |
$168,600±$27kLowest 43% below ME |
$214,900±$61kHighest 28% below ME |
| Cambridge and Temple are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,458±$565Highest 28% above ME |
$759±$141Lowest 33% below ME |
— |
| Temple and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,367Highest 22% below ME |
$2,245 26% below ME |
$1,574Lowest 48% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 73.3%±70.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
27.2%±28.8 ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Temple and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.2% ME: 10.7% |
9.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
14.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.7% ME: 74.3% |
82.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 11 yrs older than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 34 min 37% above ME |
21 minLowest 13% below ME |
41 minHighest 65% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.5%±8.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
1.7%±1.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Temple and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #86 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 73 | — |
| High school in town | — | Spruce Mountain High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.7 |
— |
| 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.