Compare towns
Castle Hill vs Appleton vs Lowell
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).
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 | Lowell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 281Lowest |
1,360Highest |
378 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +7.2% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 57.8±15.8Highest 29% above ME |
49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME |
55.5±8.6 24% above ME |
| Castle Hill and Lowell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.2%±5.8 ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
13.2%±4.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Appleton and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 44.8%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
31.2%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±5.3 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.9%±1.9Lowest 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 |
$50,833±$31kLowest 32% 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±$18kLowest 51% below ME |
$235,600±$33kHighest 21% below ME |
$209,700±$30k 29% below ME |
| Appleton and Lowell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $950±$574Lowest 17% below ME |
$1,104±$82Highest 3% below ME |
— |
| Appleton and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,449Lowest 52% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,478 51% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 75%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
80%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Lowell 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% |
10.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.5% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 24% below ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
31 minHighest 24% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.3%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±5.7 ME: 15.9% |
| Appleton and Lowell 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.