Compare towns
Brooks vs Jay vs Knox vs Mapleton
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 people working from home (14.5%).
Jay has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Knox has grown the fastest since 2010 (+0.6%).
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 | Brooks | Jay | Knox | Mapleton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,208 |
4,657Highest |
825Lowest |
1,884 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-4.8% ME: +2.6% |
+0.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6Highest about the ME average |
39.5±5.1Lowest 12% below ME |
41.1±7.9 8% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
| Brooks and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
17.5%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±4.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.3%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Jay 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% ME: 36.2% |
29.7% ME: 36.2% |
26%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±3.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.6%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Mapleton 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 |
$70,238±$19k 6% below ME |
$64,821±$9k 13% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
| Mapleton and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $196,700±$33kHighest 34% below ME |
$168,600±$27k 43% below ME |
$159,600±$26kLowest 46% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
| Brooks and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,116±$112 about the ME average |
$759±$141 33% below ME |
$1,375±$47Highest 21% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,096 31% below ME |
$2,245Highest 26% below ME |
$1,610Lowest 47% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3 ME: 48.4% |
27.2%±28.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
11.3%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Jay and Brooks 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% |
9.8% ME: 10.7% |
8.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
80.1% ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
21 minLowest 13% below ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±7.4 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Brooks and Knox 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 | — | #86 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 73 | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 |
| High school in town | None in town | Spruce Mountain High School | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.7 |
— | — |
| 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.