Compare towns
Appleton vs Rome vs Smithfield
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).
Rome has grown the fastest since 2010 (+13.7%).
Smithfield has the most people working from home (22%).
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 | Rome | Smithfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,360Highest |
1,215 |
856Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2% ME: +2.6% |
+13.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-10.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
48.3±9.2Lowest 8% above ME |
55.8±3.5Highest 25% above ME |
| Smithfield 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% |
21.4%±6.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
10%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Rome 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% |
24.7%±9.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
29.7%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Smithfield 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
39.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±4.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
3%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Rome 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 |
$77,639±$25k 4% above ME |
$107,917±$27kHighest 44% above ME |
| Smithfield and Rome are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$329,300±$36kHighest 11% above ME |
$242,800±$15k 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,104±$82Lowest 3% below ME |
$1,150±$56Highest about the ME average |
$1,109±$358 about the ME average |
| Rome and Smithfield 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 |
$1,829Lowest 40% below ME |
$2,866 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
54.2%±59.8 ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±45.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Rome 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% |
10.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
88.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 23% above ME |
30 minLowest 21% above ME |
33 minHighest 32% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
7.4%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22%±7.2Highest 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 | 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.