Compare towns
Beals vs Cushing vs Appleton vs Robbinston
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 shortest commute (21 min average).
Cushing has the most expensive homes ($410k median).
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
Robbinston has the most affordable homes ($228k 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 | Beals | Cushing | Appleton | Robbinston |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 498Lowest |
1,460Highest |
1,360 |
621 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-2.1% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-6.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48±15.6Lowest 7% above ME |
48.8±7.7 9% above ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
48.1±2.7 7% above ME |
| Appleton and Cushing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.1%±6.5 ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
14.3%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Cushing and Beals 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% |
20.5%±0.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
27.1%±3.8 ME: 22.4% |
| Beals and Robbinston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.6% ME: 36.2% |
38.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
27.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Beals and Appleton 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 |
$83,500±$19kHighest 12% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$68,333±$13k 9% below ME |
| Cushing and Robbinston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,700±$45k 13% below ME |
$409,800±$44kHighest 38% above ME |
$235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$228,000±$41kLowest 23% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $907±$378Lowest 20% below ME |
$1,553±$376Highest 36% above ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,232±$808 8% above ME |
| Cushing and Robbinston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,580 15% below ME |
$3,944Highest 30% above ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$1,478Lowest 51% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.7%±19.6 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
60.6%±26.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Robbinston 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% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
15.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 17% below ME |
23 min 5% below ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
22 min 9% below ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±6.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
6.6%±4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Cushing and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | Beals Public Schools | RSU 13 | Appleton Public Schools | — |
| High school 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.