Compare towns
Chesterville vs Mapleton vs Wales vs Brownfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Chesterville has the shortest commute (25 min average).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Wales has the most people working from home (22.2%).
Brownfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.1%).
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 | Chesterville | Mapleton | Wales | Brownfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,397Lowest |
1,884 |
1,924Highest |
1,830 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.8% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-0.5% ME: +2.6% |
+2.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 37.8±4 16% below ME |
41.8±6Highest 7% below ME |
35.1±4.2Lowest 22% below ME |
39.9±6.8 11% below ME |
| Mapleton and Brownfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
30.2%±6 ME: 18.1% |
26.7%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Chesterville and Wales are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 15%±3 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
11%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±1.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Brownfield and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.4% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
15.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
25.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±3.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.7%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Wales and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $61,635±$10k 18% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$77,004±$5k 3% above ME |
$60,889±$5kLowest 19% below ME |
| Mapleton and Wales are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $214,000±$40k 28% below ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$250,400±$28k 16% below ME |
$287,500±$36kHighest 3% below ME |
| Brownfield and Wales are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,088±$73 4% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,154±$64 about the ME average |
$1,617±$554Highest 42% above ME |
| Brownfield and Wales are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,194 28% below ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,578 15% below ME |
$2,976Highest about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 21.8%±30.8 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
83.3%±37.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
61.8%±43.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Wales and Brownfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12% ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
25.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.4% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
87.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
28 min 13% above ME |
28 min 14% above ME |
44 minHighest 80% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
22.2%±13.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.5%±4.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Wales and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 04 | RSU 72/MSAD 72 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Oak Hill High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.9 |
— |
| 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.