Compare towns
Cherryfield vs Appleton vs Steuben
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cherryfield has the most people working from home (18.2%).
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
Steuben has the highest household income ($76k).
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 | Cherryfield | Appleton | Steuben |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 809Lowest |
1,360 |
1,388Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -10.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-0.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 58.1±4.2Highest 30% above ME |
49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
40.1±8.5Lowest 10% below ME |
| Cherryfield and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 11.6%±5.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Steuben and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 32.4%±9.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Cherryfield and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21.4% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
18.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.7%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Steuben and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $37,115±$17kLowest 50% below ME |
$53,618±$19k 28% below ME |
$76,466±$4kHighest about the ME average |
| Steuben and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $195,800±$53k 34% below ME |
$235,600±$33kHighest 21% below ME |
$173,900±$32kLowest 41% below ME |
| Appleton and Cherryfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $428±$107Lowest 62% below ME |
$1,104±$82Highest 3% below ME |
$678±$319 40% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,950Lowest 36% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$2,029 33% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 60.5%±17.8 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
26.3%±87.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Cherryfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 26.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
5.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 22% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
28 minLowest 14% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.2%±10.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.8%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Cherryfield and Steuben are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Cherryfield Public Schools | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 24 |
| 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.