Compare towns
Beals vs Brooks vs Mapleton vs Monroe
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Beals has the most people working from home (17.6%).
Brooks has the most renters (25.4% rent).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Monroe has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.6%).
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 | Beals | Brooks | Mapleton | Monroe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 498Lowest |
1,208 |
1,884Highest |
1,001 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-6.3% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+4.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48±15.6Highest 7% above ME |
45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
43.5±7 about the ME average |
| Beals and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.1%±6.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
23.7%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Monroe and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
22.6%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Beals and Monroe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
27.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
29.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5 ME: 5.8% |
6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.3%±4.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $64,063±$14k 14% below ME |
$59,130±$10kLowest 21% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$81,300±$7k 9% above ME |
| Mapleton and Monroe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,700±$45kHighest 13% below ME |
$196,700±$33k 34% below ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$220,300±$57k 26% below ME |
| Beals and Monroe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $907±$378 20% below ME |
$1,116±$112 about the ME average |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,165±$152Highest about the ME average |
| Monroe and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,580Highest 15% below ME |
$2,096 31% below ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,207 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
18%±17.3 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
50.9%±47.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Monroe and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 10.8% ME: 10.7% |
19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
11.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9% ME: 74.3% |
74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
87.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 17% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
28 min 13% above ME |
32 minHighest 28% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.8%±4.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Beals and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | Beals Public Schools | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.