Compare towns
Appleton vs Mercer vs Hope
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 renters (17.4% rent).
Mercer has the most people working from home (20.5%).
Hope has the most expensive homes ($373k 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 | Mercer | Hope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,360 |
718Lowest |
1,748Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2% ME: +2.6% |
+6.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
44.6±3.1 about the ME average |
| Appleton and Hope 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% |
20.1%±6.4 ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Hope and Mercer 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% |
25.9%±5.6 ME: 22.4% |
21.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Mercer 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% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
47.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Appleton and Hope 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 |
$71,107±$2k 5% below ME |
$86,766±$6kHighest 16% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$238,500±$32k 20% below ME |
$373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$82Lowest 3% below ME |
$1,422±$249Highest 25% above ME |
$1,219±$182 7% above ME |
| Mercer and Hope 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 |
$1,970Lowest 35% below ME |
$3,842Highest 27% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
18.5%±74Lowest ME: 48.4% |
37.8%±38.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Hope 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% |
13.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.1% ME: 74.3% |
92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1987Lowest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 23% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
20 minLowest 19% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
20.5%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Mercer and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Appleton Public Schools | — | Hope Public Schools |
| High school 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.