Compare towns
Appleton vs Harrington vs Milbridge
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%).
Harrington has the most affordable homes ($145k median).
Milbridge has the most people working from home (18.9%).
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 | Harrington | Milbridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,360Highest |
917Lowest |
1,222 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+1.6% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME |
49.2±12.1Lowest 10% above ME |
50.3±6.2Highest 12% above ME |
| Milbridge and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.7%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
22.5%±4.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Milbridge and Harrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.1%±9.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
32%±9.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
30.2%±5.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Harrington and Milbridge 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% |
27.3% ME: 36.2% |
24.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
1.2%±1.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Appleton and Milbridge 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 |
$64,861±$17kHighest 13% below ME |
$60,536±$16k 19% below ME |
| Harrington and Milbridge 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 |
$144,600±$71kLowest 51% below ME |
$240,400±$31kHighest 19% below ME |
| Milbridge 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 |
— | $619±$186Lowest 46% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,777Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,022 33% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
79.3%±39 ME: 48.4% |
45.8%±22.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Harrington 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% |
13.7% ME: 10.7% |
18.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
83.1% ME: 74.3% |
85.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 23% above ME |
20 min 21% below ME |
18 minLowest 26% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
1.7%±1.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.9%±6.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Milbridge 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 | RSU 37/MSAD 37 | RSU 37/MSAD 37 |
| High school in town | None in town | Narraguagus High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.2 |
— |
| 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.