Compare towns
Bangor vs Mapleton vs Washburn
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).
Washburn has the most affordable homes ($113k median).
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 | Washburn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 31,938Highest |
1,884 |
1,355Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.9% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-9.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
48.2±7.7Highest 8% above ME |
| Washburn 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% |
21.7%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Washburn 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% |
24%±3.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Washburn 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.6%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,942±$7k 20% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$56,196±$6kLowest 25% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $219,600±$10kHighest 26% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$112,900±$14kLowest 62% 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±$277 46% below ME |
$482±$62Lowest 58% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,076Highest about the ME average |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,571Lowest 48% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±6.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±24.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Bangor and Washburn 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% |
12.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
1969 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 33% below ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
21 min 15% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.5 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.7%±3.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mapleton and Bangor 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 45/MSAD 45 |
| High school in town | Bangor High School | None in town | Washburn District High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3Highest |
— | 12.0Lowest |
| 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.