Compare towns

Chapman vs Orono

Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.

What stands out worked out from the figures below

Chapman has the most kids (27.6% under 18).
Orono has the most people working from home (11.3%).
Orono is a college town. 56.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.

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.

MeasureChapmanOrono
People
Population
388Lowest
11,902Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census —
+7.9%
ME: +2.6%
Median age
45.7±11.4Highest
about the ME average
21.8±0.3Lowest
51% below ME
Kids under 18
27.6%±5.9Highest
ME: 18.1%
6.8%±1.5Lowest
ME: 18.1%
Age 65+
27.6%±3.8Highest
ME: 22.4%
11.4%±1.9Lowest
ME: 22.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
22.8%Lowest
ME: 36.2%
66.8%Highest
ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
5.2%±2.6Lowest
ME: 5.8%
56.1%±3.5Highest
ME: 5.8%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian
$93,125±$17kHighest
25% above ME
$61,528±$5kLowest
18% below ME
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$185,700±$22kLowest
37% below ME
$272,600±$40kHighest
8% below ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly —
$1,255±$112
10% above ME
Property taxmedian, yearly
$1,850Lowest
39% below ME
$4,830Highest
59% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
0%±100Lowest
ME: 48.4%
58.1%±10.6Highest
ME: 48.4%
Orono and Chapman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line
6.4%Lowest
ME: 10.7%
24.9%Highest
ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
94.5%Highest
ME: 74.3%
46.6%Lowest
ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year
1982Highest
5 yrs newer than ME
1977Lowest
same as ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
23 minHighest
6% below ME
15 minLowest
38% below ME
Work from home
4.8%±3.5Lowest
ME: 15.9%
11.3%±3.2Highest
ME: 15.9%
Orono and Chapman 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 — #26 of 133 in ME
School district — RSU 26
High school in town — Orono High School
Students per teacherat that high school —
10.7
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History 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.