Compare towns
Bangor vs Liberty vs Mapleton
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 most renters (52.8% rent).
Liberty has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.3%).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
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 | Liberty | Mapleton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
969Lowest |
1,884 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3 8% below ME |
40.5±6.8Lowest 10% below ME |
41.8±6Highest 7% below ME |
| Mapleton and Bangor 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% |
19.4%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Liberty are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±1.9 ME: 22.4% |
21.8%±2.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Liberty and Bangor 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% |
43.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.4%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7kLowest 20% below ME |
$71,146±$15k 5% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
| Mapleton and Liberty 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 |
$229,600±$31kHighest 23% below ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
| Liberty and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43Highest 7% below ME |
$559±$193Lowest 51% below ME |
$610±$277 46% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076Highest about the ME average |
$2,434 20% below ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
38.5%±42.4 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bangor and Liberty are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
14.8% ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1981Highest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
38 minHighest 56% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.4%±8.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Liberty and Mapleton 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 | — | — |
| School district | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3 |
— | — |
| 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.