Compare towns
Wesley vs Northfield vs Merrill
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wesley has the most affordable homes ($69k median).
Northfield has the oldest population (median age 62.1).
Merrill has the most people working from home (13.2%).
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 | Wesley | Northfield | Merrill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 320 |
263Lowest |
372Highest |
| Median age | 37.3±3.1 17% below ME |
62.1±16.2Highest 39% above ME |
33.2±9.9Lowest 26% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±6.2 ME: 18.1% |
11.4%±7.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
41.7%±11Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 16.6%±5.8 ME: 22.4% |
39.2%±9.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
14%±5.8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
40.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.2%±4Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±4.4 ME: 5.8% |
0.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Wesley and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $63,125±$34kLowest 16% below ME |
$68,333±$52kHighest 9% below ME |
$65,536±$8k 12% below ME |
| Northfield and Merrill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $68,800±$21kLowest 77% below ME |
$198,600±$64kHighest 33% below ME |
$131,600±$21k 56% below ME |
| Northfield and Merrill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $558Lowest 82% below ME |
$1,773Highest 42% below ME |
$1,449 52% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 27.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
— | 60%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Merrill and Wesley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 34.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
20.5% ME: 10.7% |
5.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
88.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1993Highest 16 yrs newer than ME |
1975Lowest 2 yrs older than ME |
1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 48 minHighest 96% above ME |
24 minLowest about the ME average |
29 min 19% above ME |
| Work from home | 1.9%±3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
3.2%±2.6 ME: 15.9% |
13.2%±6.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| 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.