Compare towns
Crystal vs Mapleton vs Union vs Hersey
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Crystal has the most affordable homes ($129k median).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Union has the most people working from home (15.9%).
Hersey has the most renters (34.8% rent).
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 | Crystal | Mapleton | Union | Hersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 247 |
1,884 |
2,663Highest |
47Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 63.2±8.4Highest 41% above ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
41.6±5.3Lowest 7% below ME |
60.5±3.2 35% above ME |
| Crystal and Hersey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.2%±11.8 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
24.9%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
8.5%±58Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Union and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 49%±5.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
34%±54.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Crystal and Hersey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.9% ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
34.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
20.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0%±6.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
0%±33.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $48,125±$13k 36% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$80,724±$9k 8% above ME |
$31,250±$26kLowest 58% below ME |
| Mapleton and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $129,200±$60kLowest 56% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$267,600±$42kHighest 10% below ME |
$162,500±$113k 45% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,563±$922Highest 37% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,179±$452 4% above ME |
— |
| Crystal and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $943Lowest 69% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$3,276Highest 8% above ME |
$2,417 20% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 14.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Union and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 14.7% ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
21.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
85.9% ME: 74.3% |
65.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
2004Highest 27 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 10% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
29 minHighest 20% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 0%±15.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
5.9%±23.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Union 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 40/MSAD 40 | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.