Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Peru’s subject grades is an A− for cost of living; the weakest is a C− for schools. On cost of living, just 20 of Maine’s 285 towns do better. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 74% of U.S. towns. Among 144 Maine towns, just 2 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Peru. Only 13 of Maine’s 285 towns score lower on the outdoors. Peru has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Peru beats most towns.
Where Peru’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Peru is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 343 in 1820, a low of 343 in 1820, 1,488 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1906 and 2 maps from 1968 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Peru, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Peru.
The typical Peru home is worth about $232,000, down 1.8% in a year, 44% below the Maine typical home. At $723 a month, Peru’s median rent is below both the Maine town median ($1,106 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 90% of households own their home in Peru.
| Peru | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 90% | 81% | 73% |
| Median rent | $723 a month | $1,106 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by RSU 56. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dirigo Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 324 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ME on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Peru for work: only 3% work in town. At 29 minutes, Peru’s average trip to work is against 25 minutes in Maine’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Since 2013, Peru has lost 33 jobs, to 170 in 2023.
| Peru | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 9.2% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Peru has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Peru’s July high is 79°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Peru beats the Maine average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 17% of Peru adults report frequent physical distress.
| Peru | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | Peru | ME |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with diabetes | 13% | 11.2% |
| More adults in frequent physical distress | 16.5% | 14.3% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 57.9% | 63.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 51% of U.S. communities. Since 1987, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Peru.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
23 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Among 144 Maine towns, just 6 have a lower share of conserved land than Peru.
| Peru | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Peru. Close and well known come first.
34 mi Ski areaSaddleback Mountain72 runs · 1,847 ft vertical14 mi Ski areaMount Abram43 runs · 1,037 ft vertical12 mi Ski areaBlack Mountain of Maine29 runs · 1,227 ft vertical
34 mi Ski areaPleasant Mountain41 runs · 1,240 ft vertical
17 mi MuseumMaine Mineral and Gem MuseumSaddleback Mountain: petersent, Public domain · Pleasant Mountain: Denmarkmaine, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Maine Mineral and Gem Museum: Amandabachand, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Peru; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Peru residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
Town in Maine, US
Peru is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Peru is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England City and Town Area. The population was 1,488 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Peru.
| Town | ME rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peru | — | — | A− | — | C− | C+ |
| Dixfield | — | — | B+ | — | C− | C |
| Canton | — | — | A− | — | C− | C+ |
| Mexico | #131 | D | B | — | D | C |
| Sumner | — | — | A− | — | D | C+ |
| Hartford | — | — | B | — | D | B− |
| Rumford | #139 | D− | B− | C+ | D | D |
| Woodstock | — | — | B− | — | C | B− |
Peru, Dixfield, Canton, Sumner, Hartford and Woodstock have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Peru, Dixfield, Canton, Mexico, Sumner, Hartford and Woodstock report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Peru with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
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