Compare towns
Appleton vs Orient
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 affordable homes ($236k median).
Orient has the most people working from home (81%).
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 | Orient |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 1,360Highest |
137Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME |
62±9Highest 38% above ME |
| Orient 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% |
16.8%±18.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Orient and Appleton 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% |
46%±10.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
0%±11.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Appleton and Orient are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $53,618±$19k 28% below ME |
— |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$548,600±$183kHighest 85% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$82 3% below ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,588 18% above ME |
— |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Orient and Appleton 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% |
35.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1986Lowest 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 23% above ME |
— |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
81%±44Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| School district | Appleton Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.