Compare towns
Bethel vs Mapleton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bethel has the most people working from home (27.7%).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
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 | Bethel | Mapleton |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 2,617Highest |
1,884Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 50.2±6.4Highest 12% above ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
| Bethel and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 15.9%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Bethel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 29.3%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Bethel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $58,929±$23kLowest 21% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
| Mapleton and Bethel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $344,900±$37kHighest 16% above ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $864±$43Highest 24% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
| Bethel and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,835Highest 7% below ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 21.3%±15.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Bethel and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 13.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 5% above ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 27.7%±8.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #49 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 44/MSAD 44 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 |
| High school in town | Telstar High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.