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Mississippi Valley State University, MS vs Orono, ME

Mississippi Valley State University

Mississippi

vs

Orono

Maine

Across 26 directional measures we can compare, Mississippi Valley State University leads on 18 and Orono on 8. Counting measures is not an overall verdict: their importance depends on your priorities. Median rent is 53% higher in Orono, while median household income is higher in Mississippi Valley State University.

Median gross rent
$837$1,280
Mississippi Valley State University is 35% lower
Median household income
$75,425$59,784
Mississippi Valley State University is 26% higher
Median home value
$101,200$262,900
Mississippi Valley State University is 62% lower

The Citytistics read

  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, pay outran rent by 6.2 points a year in Mississippi Valley State University, and pay outran rent by 1.4 points a year in Orono.

How these are calculated

MaineMississippiOrono, MEMississippi Valley State University, MSMississippi Valley State UniversityOronoMississippi Valley State UniversityOrono

Which fits you?

Both start on the Citytistics Index (CTX). Move the sliders to weigh what matters to you and the score becomes your own mix.

Your weights

Top 1 of 1 matching places. Places in the top 1% show their national rank.

#PlaceCTXAffordabilityEconomyEducationSafetyCommuteAmenitiesGrowth
01Orono, MEComposite 63.7 / 100
84
253095989672n/a

CTX is the Citytistics Index: better than that share of the places we rate. It tops out at 99, so the top 1% show their national rank (#1 is best). Change any weight to rank on your own mix. How the CTX is built

Every measure

The dots show where each place sits among the 6,645 places we track. The bar is the median. A small dot after a value marks the better one.

MeasureMississippi Valley State UniversityOronoAmong all places
Cost of living
Median gross rent1$837$1,280
Rent to income113.3%25.7%
Property tax rate11.0%1.8%
Home price to income11.3x4.4x
Prices vs US average2n/a96.5
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3$905$1,496
HUD area median income4$47,600n/a
Housing
Property tax paid (median)1$1,033$4,778
Median home value1$101,200$262,900
Home prices, 1-year change54.7%4.6%
Home prices, 5-year change514.4%68.2%
Homeownership10.0%41.7%
Renters paying 30%+10.0%60.2%
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,146$1,680
Vacant homes131.7%7.3%
Median year built119731976
Jobs and income
Median household income1$75,425$59,784
Income per person1$33,299$25,481
Unemployment111.6%5.5%
Average annual pay6$44,584$57,443
Pay growth, 1 year62.3%3.3%
Jobs612,09071,782
Poverty rate10.0%27.0%
Mean commute120 min15 min
Works from home12.9%11.0%
Commutes by transit10.0%0.4%
People
Population174111,151
Median age121.821.6
Bachelor's or higher192.8%69.8%
High school or higher1100.0%98.9%
Household size11.32.4
Born abroad11.4%5.7%
No health insurance113.0%3.5%
Homes with broadband1100.0%82.7%
Moving
Moved here in the past year118.5%17.9%
Moved from another state10.5%9.7%
Net movers per 1,000 people7-12.93.8
Income of households moving in7$31,018$53,860
Income of households moving out7$42,113$54,895
Local life
Restaurants and bars per 10k818.817.9
Shops per 10k852.743.3
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k82.24.3
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k814.020.5
Child care centers per 10k85.54.8
Parks per 10k9n/a9.9
Playgrounds per 10k9n/a0.0
Grocery stores per 10k9n/a2.7
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9n/a18.8
Libraries per 10k9n/a4.5
Named paths and bike trails9n/a22.0
Transit stops per sq mi9n/a0.3
Nearest National Park Service site10n/a43.2
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10n/a1
National Register listings113911
Founded or incorporated12n/a1774
Safety
Violent crime per 100k13n/a16
Property crime per 100k13n/a80
Schools
Public schools14163
Public school students143,921827
Students per teacher1414.111.2
Climate
July average high1592°F79°F
January average low1535°F6°F
Average temperature1564°F43°F
Annual precipitation1555.4 in44.1 in
Hazards and air
Natural hazard risk1673.578.0
Hurricane risk1671.786.7
Tornado risk1688.732.3
Wildfire risk1622.529.3
Heat wave risk1679.536.1
Median air quality index17n/a33
Good air days17n/a84.2%

Data bundle checked 2026-11-14; individual source vintages vary. Rent needed at the 30% line: Mississippi Valley State University $33,480, Orono $51,200 a year.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Wikidata · Wikimedia Foundation (CC0) · Retrieved 2026-11
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology.

Keep comparing

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