Compare towns
Bangor vs Hampden vs Mapleton vs Orono
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 oldest housing (typical home built 1954).
Hampden has the most people working from home (16.1%).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Orono has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.9%).
Orono is a college town. 56.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Hampden | Mapleton | Orono |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
5,161 |
1,884Lowest |
11,902 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3 8% below ME |
41.1±6.3 8% below ME |
41.8±6Highest 7% below ME |
21.8±0.3Lowest 51% below ME |
| Mapleton and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.7%±1.7 ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±7.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
6.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Hampden and Mapleton 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% |
18.6%±4.4 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
11.4%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bangor and Hampden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.1% ME: 36.2% |
47.9% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
66.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
4.7%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
56.1%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
$112,228±$22kHighest 50% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$61,528±$5k 18% below ME |
| Hampden and Mapleton 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 |
$285,900±$33kHighest 4% below ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$272,600±$40k 8% below ME |
| Hampden and Orono are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43 7% below ME |
$1,133±$375 about the ME average |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,255±$112Highest 10% above ME |
| Orono and Hampden 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 |
$3,863 27% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$4,830Highest 59% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5 ME: 48.4% |
25.2%±18 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.1%±10.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Orono 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% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
24.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2% ME: 74.3% |
83.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
46.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 17 min 33% below ME |
22 min 9% below ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
15 minLowest 38% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.1%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
11.3%±3.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Hampden and Orono 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 | #6 of 133 in ME | — | #26 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 26 |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | — | None in town | Orono High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3Highest |
— | — | 10.7Lowest |
| 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.