Compare towns
Ashland vs Mapleton vs Mount Chase vs Harmony
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ashland has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Mount Chase has the most people working from home (22.2%).
Harmony has the most expensive homes ($203k 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 | Ashland | Mapleton | Mount Chase | Harmony |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,080 |
1,884Highest |
280Lowest |
974 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.7% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— | -12.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 53.4±9.1Highest 19% above ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
49.9±10.9 11% above ME |
52.9±2.5 18% above ME |
| Ashland and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.3%±3.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.1%±10.6 ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±5.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Mount Chase are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 32.2%±8Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
28.9%±6.3 ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Ashland and Mount Chase are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 13.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
32.1% ME: 36.2% |
21.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.3%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±5.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $46,838±$15k 37% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$41,711±$7kLowest 44% below ME |
$54,063±$13k 28% below ME |
| Mapleton and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $125,000±$49k 58% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$115,700±$15kLowest 61% below ME |
$202,700±$58kHighest 32% below ME |
| Harmony and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,281±$1kHighest 12% above ME |
— |
| Mount Chase and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,511 50% below ME |
$1,789Highest 41% below ME |
$1,548 49% below ME |
$1,449Lowest 52% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 25.7%±27.5 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
28.6%±100 ME: 48.4% |
43.5%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Harmony and Mount Chase are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 23.6% ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
30.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
15.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973Lowest 4 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1973Lowest 4 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 14% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
32 minHighest 30% above ME |
| Work from home | 4.7%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
22.2%±12.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.8%±8.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Chase and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — | Harmony Public Schools |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.