Compare towns
Bangor vs Brooks vs Mapleton vs Auburn
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bangor has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Brooks has the most people working from home (14.5%).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Auburn has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.4%).
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 | Bangor | Brooks | Mapleton | Auburn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
1,208Lowest |
1,884 |
24,602 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9% ME: +2.6% |
-6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+4.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
45.9±6.6Highest about the ME average |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
41.4±2.7 8% below ME |
| Brooks and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±2.3 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+ | 19.9%±1.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.8%±2 ME: 22.4% |
| Bangor and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
27.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
27.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
6.8%±3.5 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.6%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Bangor and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7k 20% below ME |
$59,130±$10kLowest 21% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$66,647±$5k 11% below ME |
| Mapleton and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $219,600±$10k 26% below ME |
$196,700±$33k 34% below ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$282,000±$12kHighest 5% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43 7% below ME |
$1,116±$112Highest about the ME average |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,041±$74 9% below ME |
| Brooks and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076 about the ME average |
$2,096 31% below ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,687Highest 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5 ME: 48.4% |
18%±17.3 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
53.4%±7.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Auburn and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 17.9% ME: 10.7% |
19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
74.6% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.1% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
22 min 12% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±2.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
11.5%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
| Brooks 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 | #37 of 133 in ME | — | — | #110 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Auburn Public Schools |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | None in town | None in town | Edward Little High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3Highest |
— | — | 13.1Lowest |
| 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.