Compare towns
Appleton vs Calais vs Pittston
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 people working from home (11.1%).
Calais has the most affordable homes ($111k median).
Pittston has the highest household income ($87k).
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 | Calais | Pittston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,360Lowest |
3,097Highest |
3,093 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2% ME: +2.6% |
-1.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
43.8±5.1 about the ME average |
41.4±5.9Lowest 8% below ME |
| Appleton and Calais 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% |
16.4%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±7.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Pittston and Calais 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% |
24.1%±5.3 ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±6.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Calais 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% |
25.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±4.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Pittston and Calais 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 |
$64,096±$10k 14% below ME |
$86,614±$18kHighest 16% above ME |
| Pittston and Calais 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 |
$111,100±$36kLowest 63% below ME |
$238,700±$66kHighest 20% below ME |
| Pittston and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$82Highest 3% below ME |
$1,010±$199Lowest 11% below ME |
$1,080±$593 5% below ME |
| Appleton and Pittston 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 |
$1,684Lowest 45% below ME |
$1,909 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
53.7%±20.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±34.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Pittston 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% |
21.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
73.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 23% above ME |
16 minLowest 35% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
3.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Appleton and Pittston 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 | — | #48 of 133 in ME | #123 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Appleton Public Schools | Calais Public Schools | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | None in town | Calais Middle/High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.0 |
— |
| 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.