Compare towns
Bangor vs Mapleton vs Strong 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).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
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 | Mapleton | Strong | Auburn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
1,884 |
1,249Lowest |
24,602 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
41.4±2.7 8% below 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% |
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%±1.9 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.8%±2 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% |
27.8% 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% |
5.6%±1.1 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 |
$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 |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$183,900±$29kLowest 38% below ME |
$282,000±$12kHighest 5% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,055±$43Highest 7% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$920±$276 19% below ME |
$1,041±$74 9% below ME |
| Bangor and Auburn 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 |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$1,950 36% below ME |
$3,687Highest 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.9% ME: 10.7% |
13.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.1% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
1971 6 yrs older than ME |
1954Lowest 23 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 |
22 min 12% below 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% |
11.5%±2.7 ME: 15.9% |
| Strong 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 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | 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.