Compare towns
Appleton vs Bowdoin vs Weston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Appleton has the most renters (17.4% rent).
Bowdoin has the highest household income ($91k).
Weston has the shortest commute (18 min average).
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 | Weston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,360 |
3,188Highest |
275Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
44.3±10Lowest about the ME average |
55.1±14Highest 23% above ME |
| Weston 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% |
14.9%±7.2Lowest 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%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21.8%±4.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Weston 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% |
23.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±4.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Appleton and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$91,239±$13kHighest 22% above ME |
$58,942±$7k 21% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$292,800±$71kHighest about the ME average |
$171,700±$26kLowest 42% below ME |
| Bowdoin and Appleton 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 |
— | — |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$3,375 11% above ME |
$1,500Lowest 51% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100 ME: 48.4% |
0%±42.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Weston and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
11% ME: 10.7% |
19.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.7% ME: 74.3% |
93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Lowest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1990 13 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 23% above ME |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
18 minLowest 28% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±7Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±12.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bowdoin and Appleton 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 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| 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.