Compare towns
Cornish vs Appleton vs Mapleton vs Hiram
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cornish has the most expensive homes ($274k median).
Appleton has the oldest population (median age 49.2).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Hiram has the most homeowners (83.8%).
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 | Cornish | Appleton | Mapleton | Hiram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,803 |
1,360Lowest |
1,884Highest |
1,748 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-0.7% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5Lowest 13% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
41.6±10.2 7% below ME |
| Appleton and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.2%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Hiram are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
15.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.6%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,038±$4k 8% below ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$62,813±$10k 16% below ME |
| Mapleton and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $274,200±$84kHighest 8% below ME |
$235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$256,600±$42k 13% below ME |
| Cornish and Hiram are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,196±$148Highest 5% above ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,070±$161 6% below ME |
| Cornish and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,309 24% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,106 31% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24.1 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Hiram are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
12.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1% ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
83.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 27% above ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
28 minLowest 13% above ME |
31 minHighest 28% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
8.6%±3.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Appleton and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 55/MSAD 55 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town | Sacopee Valley High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | — | 9.9 |
| 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.


