Compare towns
Brooks vs Gray vs Mapleton vs Waldo
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brooks has the most renters (25.4% rent).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Mapleton has the most kids (22.2% under 18).
Waldo has the shortest commute (20 min average).
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 | Brooks | Gray | Mapleton | Waldo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,208 |
8,429Highest |
1,884 |
926Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+4.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6Highest about the ME average |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
37.5±9.6Lowest 16% below ME |
| Brooks and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.2%±4.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Waldo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
36.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $59,130±$10kLowest 21% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$71,458±$21k 4% below ME |
| Gray and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $196,700±$33k 34% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$208,000±$41k 30% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,116±$112 about the ME average |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,150±$691 about the ME average |
| Gray and Waldo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,096 31% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,623Lowest 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Waldo and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Waldo and Brooks 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Waldo-Region 7 |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— | — |
| 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.