Compare towns
Calais vs Mapleton vs Starks
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Calais has grown the fastest since 2010 (-1.4%).
Mapleton has the most people working from home (10.8%).
Starks has the most homeowners (90%).
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 | Calais | Mapleton | Starks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,097Highest |
1,884 |
556Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.8±5.1 about the ME average |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
46.7±9.4Highest 4% above ME |
| Starks and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.1%±5.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
20.3%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Calais and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25.3% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Calais and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,096±$10k 14% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$63,500±$8kLowest 15% below ME |
| Mapleton and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $111,100±$36kLowest 63% below ME |
$191,800±$23kHighest 35% below ME |
$148,500±$27k 50% below ME |
| Mapleton and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,010±$199 11% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,063±$301Highest 7% below ME |
| Starks and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,684 45% below ME |
$1,789Highest 41% below ME |
$1,348Lowest 56% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.7%±20.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Calais and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 21.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 16 minLowest 35% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
33 minHighest 33% above ME |
| Work from home | 2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #48 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | Calais Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — |
| High school in town | Calais Middle/High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.0 |
— | — |
| 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.