Compare towns
Cooper vs Mapleton vs Whiting vs Shirley
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cooper has the most people working from home (13.5%).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Whiting has the oldest population (median age 50).
Shirley has the shortest commute (21 min average).
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 | Cooper | Mapleton | Whiting | Shirley |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 157Lowest |
1,884Highest |
506 |
234 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
— | — |
| Median age | 46.5±9.1 4% above ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
50±5Highest 12% above ME |
42±8.2 6% below ME |
| Whiting and Cooper are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.6%±17 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.8%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±9.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Whiting are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 22.9%±14 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.5%±6.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.5%±10.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Whiting and Shirley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
34.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.6% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±9.8 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.8%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.3%±5.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Cooper are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $48,750±$15kLowest 35% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$55,263±$2k 26% below ME |
$61,875±$22k 17% below ME |
| Mapleton and Shirley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $212,500±$66k 28% below ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$214,200±$52k 28% below ME |
$219,600±$36kHighest 26% below ME |
| Shirley and Whiting are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $610±$277Highest 46% below ME |
$600±$333Lowest 47% below ME |
— |
| Mapleton and Whiting are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,929 36% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,728Lowest 43% below ME |
$2,522Highest 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | — | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
— |
| Whiting and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 20.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.6% ME: 74.3% |
99%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 44 minHighest 78% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
22 min 10% below ME |
21 minLowest 17% below ME |
| Work from home | 13.5%±11Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
5.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
5.3%±4.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Cooper 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 | Whiting Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town | — |
| 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.