Compare towns
Appleton vs Orland vs Perham
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).
Orland has the most people working from home (17%).
Perham has the most affordable homes ($118k 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 | Orland | Perham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,360 |
1,915Highest |
326Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-0.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME |
50.6±4.2 13% above ME |
53±12.9Highest 18% above ME |
| Perham and Orland 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% |
14.8%±5.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.6%±8.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Perham and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
27.5%±2Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±2.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Orland and Appleton 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% |
31.4% ME: 36.2% |
18.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
5.8%±4.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Orland 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 |
$69,348±$29kHighest 7% below ME |
$62,500±$22k 16% below ME |
| Orland and Perham 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 |
$277,100±$20kHighest 7% below ME |
$117,600±$9kLowest 60% below ME |
| Orland and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$82Lowest 3% below ME |
$1,149±$177Highest about the ME average |
— |
| Orland 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 |
$2,089 31% below ME |
$1,641Lowest 46% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
45%±23.8 ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Orland 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% |
7.1% ME: 10.7% |
2.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.5% ME: 74.3% |
92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 23% above ME |
40 minHighest 62% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
17%±11.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.4%±7.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Orland 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 | — | — |
| High school 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.