Compare towns
Appleton vs Bowdoin vs Weston vs Hope
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 most affordable homes ($172k median).
Hope has the most people working from home (18.3%).
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 | Hope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,360 |
3,188Highest |
275Lowest |
1,748 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2% ME: +2.6% |
+2.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— | +10.5%Highest 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 |
44.6±3.1 about the ME average |
| 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%±6.2 ME: 18.1% |
14.9%±7.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hope and Bowdoin 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% |
21.1%±1.3 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% ME: 36.2% |
30.4% ME: 36.2% |
23.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
47.4%Highest 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% |
2.1%±1.3 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 |
$86,766±$6k 16% above ME |
| Bowdoin and Hope 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±$71k about the ME average |
$171,700±$26kLowest 42% below ME |
$373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME |
| Hope and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$82Lowest 3% below ME |
— | — | $1,219±$182Highest 7% above ME |
| Hope and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,588 18% above ME |
$3,375 11% above ME |
$1,500Lowest 51% below ME |
$3,842Highest 27% above 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% |
37.8%±38.7 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% ME: 10.7% |
11% ME: 10.7% |
19.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.7% ME: 74.3% |
93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
92.9% 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 |
1991 14 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 |
20 min 19% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±7 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±12.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Hope and Bowdoin 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 | — | Hope Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 6 photos → | 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.