Compare towns
Carmel vs Appleton vs Pittston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Carmel has the most kids (18.6% under 18).
Appleton has the most people working from home (11.1%).
Pittston has the youngest population (median age 41.4).
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 | Carmel | Appleton | Pittston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,941 |
1,360Lowest |
3,093Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.4±4.5 4% above ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
41.4±5.9Lowest 8% below ME |
| Appleton and Carmel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.6%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±7.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Carmel and Pittston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.5%±5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±6.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Pittston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 17.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.9%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±4.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Pittston and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $82,188±$22k 10% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$86,614±$18kHighest 16% above ME |
| Pittston and Carmel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,800±$37kHighest 13% below ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$238,700±$66k 20% below ME |
| Carmel and Pittston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,276±$187Highest 12% above ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,080±$593Lowest 5% below ME |
| Carmel and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,662 12% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,909Lowest 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±38.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±34.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Pittston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
81%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1983Lowest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.5%±4.4 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Appleton and Carmel 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 | #77 of 133 in ME | — | #123 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 87/MSAD 23 | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| 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 |
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.