Compare towns
Appleton vs Dedham vs Liberty vs Mapleton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
Dedham has the most expensive homes ($356k median).
Liberty has the most people working from home (14.4%).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
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 | Dedham | Liberty | Mapleton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,360 |
1,656 |
969Lowest |
1,884Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2% ME: +2.6% |
+2.3% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
40.5±6.8Lowest 10% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
| Appleton and Dedham 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% |
23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.4%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Mapleton 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% |
18.7%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
21.8%±2.8 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Liberty are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
43.4% ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
0.4%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Appleton 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 |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$71,146±$15k 5% below ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
| Dedham and Mapleton 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 |
$356,400±$33kHighest 20% above ME |
$229,600±$31k 23% below ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
$559±$193Lowest 51% below ME |
$610±$277 46% below ME |
| Dedham 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 |
$3,942Highest 30% above ME |
$2,434 20% below ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
38.5%±42.4 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Liberty 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% |
9% ME: 10.7% |
14.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6% ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.1% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 23% above ME |
30 min 22% above ME |
38 minHighest 56% above ME |
28 minLowest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.4%±8.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Liberty and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | Appleton Public Schools | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.