Compare towns
Beals vs Mapleton vs Appleton vs Jonesport
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%).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
Jonesport has the most affordable homes ($142k 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 | Mapleton | Appleton | Jonesport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 498Lowest |
1,884Highest |
1,360 |
1,166 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-9.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48±15.6 7% above ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
43.7±12.9 about the ME average |
| Appleton and Beals 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% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Jonesport 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% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
26.5%±3.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Beals and Jonesport 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% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
20.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
3.2%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Beals and Mapleton 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 |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$67,500±$13k 10% below ME |
| Mapleton and Jonesport 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 |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$142,000±$37kLowest 52% below ME |
| Beals and Appleton 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 |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,104±$82Highest 3% below ME |
$1,000±$109 12% below ME |
| Appleton and Jonesport 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 |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,800 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
57.4%±48 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Jonesport 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% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
13.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
67.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 17% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
18 minLowest 28% below ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
8%±3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Beals and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | Beals Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Appleton Public Schools | Jonesport Public Schools · Moosabec CSD |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | Jonesport-Beals High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | — | 9.2 |
| 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.