Compare towns
Brooks vs Mapleton vs Waldo vs Weld
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).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Waldo has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Weld has the oldest population (median age 64).
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 | Mapleton | Waldo | Weld |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,208 |
1,884Highest |
926 |
459Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
37.5±9.6Lowest 16% below ME |
64±6.7Highest 43% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.2%±4.5 ME: 18.1% |
17.9%±4.8 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% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
44.4%±12.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
36.4% ME: 36.2% |
42.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1 ME: 5.8% |
1.7%±2.8Lowest 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 |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$71,458±$21k 4% below ME |
$62,083±$11k 17% below ME |
| Mapleton and Waldo 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 |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$208,000±$41k 30% below ME |
$268,600±$17kHighest 9% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,116±$112 about the ME average |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,150±$691Highest about the ME average |
— |
| Waldo and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,096Highest 31% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,623 47% below ME |
$1,308Lowest 57% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
6.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
93.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
28 min 13% above ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
30 minHighest 21% above ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±8.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| School district | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Waldo-Region 7 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None 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.