Compare towns
Appleton vs Gray vs Mapleton vs Searsmont
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%).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Searsmont 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 | Gray | Mapleton | Searsmont |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,360Lowest |
8,429Highest |
1,884 |
1,646 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+0.6% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
44.5±9.8 about the ME average |
| Appleton and Searsmont 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%±4 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Gray 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% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Searsmont 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% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
31.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
10%±6.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Searsmont and Gray 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 |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$87,000±$20k 16% above ME |
| Gray 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 |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$284,000±$31k 4% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$940±$311 17% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,588 18% above ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,788 8% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
41.4%±41.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Gray 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% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
6.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6% ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 23% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±10.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Searsmont and Gray 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 71 |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— | — |
| 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.