Compare towns
Appleton vs Newburgh vs Waldo
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%).
Newburgh has the highest household income ($77k).
Waldo has the most people working from home (15.6%).
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 | Newburgh | Waldo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,360 |
1,475Highest |
926Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
45.8±5.7 about the ME average |
37.5±9.6Lowest 16% below ME |
| Appleton and Newburgh 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% |
18.8%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
20.2%±4.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Waldo and Newburgh 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% |
21.4%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Newburgh 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% |
29.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
36.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
4.3%±2.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Newburgh 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 |
$76,750±$10kHighest about the ME average |
$71,458±$21k 4% below ME |
| Newburgh and Waldo 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 |
$244,600±$20kHighest 18% below ME |
$208,000±$41kLowest 30% below ME |
| Newburgh and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$950±$219Lowest 17% below ME |
$1,150±$691Highest about the ME average |
| Waldo and Appleton 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 |
$2,748 9% below ME |
$1,623Lowest 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±13.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Waldo 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% |
11.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6% ME: 74.3% |
81.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1985Lowest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 23% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
6.4%±3.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Waldo 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 | — | Waldo-Region 7 |
| 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.