Compare towns
Appleton vs Buxton vs Dayton
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 affordable homes ($236k median).
Buxton has the most renters (19.7% rent).
Dayton has the most people working from home (16.3%).
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 | Buxton | Dayton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,360Lowest |
8,512Highest |
2,313 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2% ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+8.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
45.5±3.9 about the ME average |
42.1±5.5Lowest 6% below ME |
| Appleton and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Dayton and Buxton 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% |
19.2%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
14.3%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Buxton 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% |
30.3% ME: 36.2% |
27.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Dayton and Buxton 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 |
$100,144±$21k 34% above ME |
$113,750±$24kHighest 52% above ME |
| Dayton and Buxton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$356,800±$21k 20% above ME |
$398,200±$34kHighest 34% above ME |
| Dayton and Buxton 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 |
$1,613±$266Highest 42% above ME |
$1,215±$867 7% above ME |
| Buxton and Dayton 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 |
$3,422Lowest 13% above ME |
$3,872Highest 28% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±26.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
38%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Dayton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
3.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6% ME: 74.3% |
80.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minLowest 23% above ME |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
31 min 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±3.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±3.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Dayton 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 | — | #104 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 06/MSAD 06 | Dayton 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 | 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.