Compare towns
Appleton vs Porter vs Castle Hill
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).
Porter has the most people working from home (15.5%).
Castle Hill has the shortest commute (19 min average).
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 | Porter | Castle Hill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,360 |
1,746Highest |
281Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
40.9±7.9Lowest 9% below ME |
57.8±15.8Highest 29% above ME |
| Castle Hill and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
16.8%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±5.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Porter 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% |
20.4%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
44.8%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
14%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±5.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$60,417±$9kHighest 19% below ME |
$54,250±$14k 27% below ME |
| Porter and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $235,600±$33kHighest 21% below ME |
$226,100±$20k 24% below ME |
$145,300±$18kLowest 51% below ME |
| Appleton and Porter 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 |
— | $950±$574Lowest 17% below ME |
| Appleton and Castle Hill 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 |
$1,841 39% below ME |
$1,449Lowest 52% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
43.9%±8.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
75%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Castle Hill 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% |
9.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.4% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 23% above ME |
32 minHighest 30% above ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
15.5%±5.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Porter 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.