Compare towns
Appleton vs Bowdoin vs Unity vs Orland
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bowdoin has the highest household income ($91k).
Unity has the youngest population (median age 27.5).
Orland has the most people working from home (17%).
Unity is a college town. 30% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Appleton | Bowdoin | Unity | Orland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,360Lowest |
3,188Highest |
1,858 |
1,915 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2% ME: +2.6% |
+2.5% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-0.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
44.3±10 about the ME average |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
50.6±4.2Highest 13% above ME |
| Orland and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
19.1%±6.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.8%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
| Bowdoin and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
14.1%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.5%±2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Orland and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.4% ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
31.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.8%±4.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$91,239±$13kHighest 22% above ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$69,348±$29k 7% below ME |
| Bowdoin and Orland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$292,800±$71kHighest about the ME average |
$206,900±$28kLowest 30% below ME |
$277,100±$20k 7% below ME |
| Bowdoin and Orland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$82 3% below ME |
— | $873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$1,149±$177Highest about the ME average |
| Orland and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$3,375 11% above ME |
$2,510 17% below ME |
$2,089Lowest 31% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±42.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
45%±23.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Orland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 9.7% ME: 10.7% |
11% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6% ME: 74.3% |
84.7% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 23% above ME |
32 min 29% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
40 minHighest 62% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±7 ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
17%±11.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Orland and Unity 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 | — | #28 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Ecology Learning Ctr | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.4 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.