Compare towns
Bridgewater vs Cornish vs Mapleton vs Monson
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bridgewater has the shortest commute (22 min average).
Cornish has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.5%).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Monson has the most people working from home (19.6%).
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 | Bridgewater | Cornish | Mapleton | Monson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 484Lowest |
1,803 |
1,884Highest |
596 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-11.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 48.8±8Highest 9% above ME |
39±8.5Lowest 13% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
47.4±13.1 6% above ME |
| Bridgewater and Monson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±5.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.2%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.3%±5.8 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Monson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 27.5%±2.8 ME: 22.4% |
17.4%±4.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
31.4%±10.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Monson and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 18.8% ME: 36.2% |
21% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
18%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
2.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.5%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $65,417±$15k 12% below ME |
$69,038±$4k 8% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$56,017±$4kLowest 25% below ME |
| Mapleton and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $154,900±$78kLowest 48% below ME |
$274,200±$84kHighest 8% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$178,100±$71k 40% below ME |
| Cornish and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $768±$116 33% below ME |
$1,196±$148Highest 5% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,417Lowest 53% below ME |
$2,309Highest 24% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,664 45% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.9%±59.5 ME: 48.4% |
48.8%±17.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±59.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Cornish and Monson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12% ME: 10.7% |
6.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
14.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.1% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 10% below ME |
31 minHighest 27% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.5%±5.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
19.6%±17.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Monson and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — |
| High school in town | — | — | None in town | — |
| 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.