Compare towns
Brewer vs Eliot vs Mapleton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brewer has the most renters (40.3% rent).
Eliot has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k 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 | Brewer | Eliot | Mapleton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,652Highest |
7,146 |
1,884Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2% ME: +2.6% |
+8.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
50.8±5.9Highest 13% above ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
| Eliot and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
27.8%±6.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Eliot and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35% ME: 36.2% |
43.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$101,522±$10kHighest 36% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
| Eliot and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
$498,900±$62kHighest 68% above ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,948±$471Highest 71% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,374 11% above ME |
$4,549Highest 50% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
55.1%±20.1 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.8% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1979Highest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 31% below ME |
23 min 9% below ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.4%±4.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Eliot and Mapleton 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 | #32 of 133 in ME | #19 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 |
| High school in town | Brewer High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.