Compare towns
Turner vs Etna vs Buckfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Turner has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.4%).
Etna has the most affordable homes ($183k median).
Buckfield has the most people working from home (15.6%).
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 | Turner | Etna | Buckfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,891Highest |
1,252Lowest |
2,403 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-1.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.6±4.3Highest 6% above ME |
41.9±3.4 6% below ME |
37.7±10.1Lowest 16% below ME |
| Turner and Etna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.1%±4.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20%±6.7 ME: 18.1% |
25.7%±7.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Buckfield and Etna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.2%±6.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±1.1 ME: 22.4% |
13.7%±2.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.4% ME: 36.2% |
13.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.6%±0.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Turner and Buckfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $100,036±$28kHighest 34% above ME |
$72,379±$16kLowest 3% below ME |
$77,917±$41k 4% above ME |
| Turner and Buckfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $284,900±$50kHighest 4% below ME |
$183,000±$49kLowest 38% below ME |
$227,700±$18k 23% below ME |
| Turner and Buckfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $584±$490Highest 49% below ME |
— | $521±$33Lowest 54% below ME |
| Turner and Buckfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,294 24% below ME |
$1,745Lowest 43% below ME |
$2,860Highest 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.9%±64.5 ME: 48.4% |
66.7%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±55Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Etna and Turner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
15.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
94.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1993Highest 16 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
28 min 12% above ME |
31 minHighest 25% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.7%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
5.6%±3.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±12.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Buckfield and Turner 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 | #33 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 52/MSAD 52 | — | RSU 10 |
| High school in town | Leavitt Area High School | — | Buckfield Jr-Sr High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6Highest |
— | 10.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 12 photos → | 6 photos → | 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.