Compare towns
Beals vs Mapleton vs Whiting 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).
Whiting has the most homeowners (93.6%).
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 | Whiting | Jonesport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 498Lowest |
1,884Highest |
506 |
1,166 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— | -9.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48±15.6 7% above ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
50±5Highest 12% above ME |
43.7±12.9 about the ME average |
| Whiting and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.1%±6.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.8%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Whiting 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% |
27.5%±6.1 ME: 22.4% |
26.5%±3.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Beals and Whiting 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% |
34.9% 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% |
2.8%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.2%±2.3 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 |
$55,263±$2kLowest 26% 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 |
$214,200±$52k 28% below ME |
$142,000±$37kLowest 52% below ME |
| Beals and Whiting 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±$277 46% below ME |
$600±$333Lowest 47% below ME |
$1,000±$109Highest 12% below ME |
| Jonesport and Beals 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 |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,728Lowest 43% below 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% |
33.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
57.4%±48Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Jonesport and Whiting 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% ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9% ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
93.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
67.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1981Highest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 17% below ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
22 min 10% below ME |
18 minLowest 28% below ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
5.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
8%±3 ME: 15.9% |
| Beals and Mapleton 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 | Whiting 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.