Compare towns
Temple vs Readfield vs Wales
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 affordable homes ($210k median).
Readfield has the oldest population (median age 48.1).
Wales has the shortest commute (28 min average).
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 | Readfield | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 824Lowest |
2,651Highest |
1,924 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.2% ME: +2.6% |
0%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-0.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 34±14Lowest 24% below ME |
48.1±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
35.1±4.2 22% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 32.8%±7.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
30.2%±6 ME: 18.1% |
| Temple and Wales are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15%±6.3 ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
11%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Readfield and Temple 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% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
15.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±3.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Wales and Readfield 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 |
$86,504±$8kHighest 16% above ME |
$77,004±$5k 3% above ME |
| Readfield and Wales are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,200±$79kLowest 29% below ME |
$326,400±$20kHighest 10% above ME |
$250,400±$28k 16% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,458±$565Highest 28% above ME |
$1,125±$844Lowest about the ME average |
$1,154±$64 about the ME average |
| Temple and Wales are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,367Lowest 22% below ME |
$3,392Highest 12% above ME |
$2,578 15% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 73.3%±70.5 ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
83.3%±37.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Wales and Temple 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% |
5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
25.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 11 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 34 minHighest 37% above ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
28 minLowest 14% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.5%±8.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
22.2%±13.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Wales 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 | — | #20 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 38 | RSU 04 |
| High school in town | — | Maranacook Community High Sch | Oak Hill High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.5Lowest |
11.9Highest |
| 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.