Compare towns
Beals vs Mapleton vs Whiting vs Windham
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).
Mapleton has the most kids (22.2% under 18).
Whiting has the most homeowners (93.6%).
Windham has the most expensive homes ($389k 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 | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 498Lowest |
1,884 |
506 |
19,188Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
— | +8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48±15.6 7% above ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
50±5Highest 12% above ME |
41.8±1.8Lowest 7% below ME |
| 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% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Windham 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%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
27.5%±6.1 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest 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% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.9% ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Highest 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% |
3.9%±1.1 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±$25k 23% above ME |
$55,263±$2kLowest 26% below ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
| Windham and Mapleton 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 |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$214,200±$52k 28% below ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $907±$378 20% below ME |
$610±$277 46% below ME |
$600±$333Lowest 47% below ME |
$1,232±$332Highest 8% above ME |
| Windham and Beals 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 |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,728Lowest 43% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Whiting and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 10.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
5.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 17% below ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
22 min 10% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 17.6%±10.9 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
5.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Beals 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 | — | — | — | #95 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Beals Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Whiting Public Schools | RSU 14 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | — | 12.1 |
| 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.