Compare towns
Auburn vs Mapleton vs Poland
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Auburn has the most renters (40.9% rent).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Poland has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.9%).
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 | Auburn | Mapleton | Poland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 24,602Highest |
1,884Lowest |
5,954 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.4% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.4±2.7Lowest 8% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
44.2±9.4Highest about the ME average |
| Poland and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.4%±2.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±5.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.8%±2Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
17.8%±4.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Auburn and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.8% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
23.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Auburn and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,647±$5kLowest 11% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$85,557±$23k 14% above ME |
| Mapleton and Poland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $282,000±$12k 5% below ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$283,600±$44kHighest 4% below ME |
| Poland and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,041±$74 9% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,198±$128Highest 5% above ME |
| Poland and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,687Highest 21% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,774 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.4%±7.4 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
61.6%±30.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Poland and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.8% ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
16.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
81.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 12% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.5%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±10.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Poland and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #110 of 133 in ME | — | #81 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Auburn Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 16 |
| High school in town | Edward Little High School | None in town | Poland Regional H S |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.1Highest |
— | 12.2Lowest |
| 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.