Compare towns
Bowdoin vs Mapleton vs Readfield vs West Gardiner
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
West Gardiner has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.7%).
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 | Bowdoin | Mapleton | Readfield | West Gardiner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 3,188 |
1,884Lowest |
2,651 |
3,696Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.5% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
0% ME: +2.6% |
+5.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.3±10 about the ME average |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
48.1±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
43.5±2.8 about the ME average |
| Readfield and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±6.2 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.9%±5.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.3%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Readfield and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
32.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
8.1%±5.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| West Gardiner and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,239±$13k 22% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$86,504±$8kLowest 16% above ME |
$96,172±$30kHighest 29% above ME |
| West Gardiner and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $292,800±$71k about the ME average |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$326,400±$20kHighest 10% above ME |
$305,100±$42k about the ME average |
| Readfield and West Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,125±$844Highest about the ME average |
$1,087±$150 5% below ME |
| Readfield and West Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,375 11% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,392Highest 12% above ME |
$2,282 25% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±42.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
57.1%±9.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
| West Gardiner and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 11%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.7% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
88.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 29% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
24 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 11.7%±7 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
13.8%±7.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and West Gardiner 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 | #28 of 133 in ME | — | #20 of 133 in ME | #90 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 38 | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Maranacook Community High Sch | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.5 |
— |
| 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.