Compare towns
Chapman vs Unity 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
Chapman has the most kids (27.6% under 18).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
Mapleton has the oldest housing (typical home built 1977).
Starks has the most affordable homes ($149k median).
Unity is a college town. 30% 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.
| Measure | Chapman | Unity | Mapleton | Starks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 388Lowest |
1,858 |
1,884Highest |
556 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.7±11.4 about the ME average |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
46.7±9.4Highest 4% above ME |
| Starks and Chapman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 27.6%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Chapman and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 27.6%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
20.3%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.8% ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.2%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $93,125±$17kHighest 25% above ME |
$62,857±$6kLowest 16% below ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$63,500±$8k 15% below ME |
| Chapman and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $185,700±$22k 37% below ME |
$206,900±$28kHighest 30% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$148,500±$27kLowest 50% below ME |
| Unity and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $873±$73 23% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,063±$301Highest 7% below ME |
| Starks and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,850 39% below ME |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,348Lowest 56% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±90.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Starks and Unity 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% |
17.3% ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
19.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
90% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 6% below ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
33 minHighest 33% above ME |
| Work from home | 4.8%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — |
| High school in town | — | Ecology Learning Ctr | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.4 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.