Compare towns
Castle Hill vs Appleton vs Crystal
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Castle Hill has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Appleton has the most expensive homes ($236k median).
Crystal has the most affordable homes ($129k median).
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 | Castle Hill | Appleton | Crystal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 281 |
1,360Highest |
247Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +7.2% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 57.8±15.8 29% above ME |
49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME |
63.2±8.4Highest 41% above ME |
| Crystal and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.2%±5.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±11.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Crystal and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 44.8%±6.5 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
49%±5.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Crystal and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26.7% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±5.3 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
0%±6.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Appleton and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $54,250±$14kHighest 27% below ME |
$53,618±$19k 28% below ME |
$48,125±$13kLowest 36% below ME |
| Castle Hill and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $145,300±$18k 51% below ME |
$235,600±$33kHighest 21% below ME |
$129,200±$60kLowest 56% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $950±$574Lowest 17% below ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,563±$922Highest 37% above ME |
| Crystal and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,449 52% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$943Lowest 69% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 75%±100 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
14.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
14.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 24% below ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
27 min 10% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.3%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
0%±15.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Appleton and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Appleton Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.