Compare towns
Bangor vs Mapleton vs Strong
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).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
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 | Mapleton | Strong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
1,884 |
1,249Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
| Strong 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% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.5%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Strong 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% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Strong 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%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
26.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7k 20% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$47,557±$10kLowest 36% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $219,600±$10kHighest 26% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$183,900±$29kLowest 38% below ME |
| Bangor and Mapleton 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 |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$920±$276 19% below ME |
| Bangor and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076Highest about the ME average |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$1,950 36% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4 ME: 48.4% |
| Bangor and Strong 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% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
1971 6 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Strong 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 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 58/MSAD 58 |
| 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.