Compare towns
Crystal vs Mapleton vs Wade vs Castle Hill
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).
Wade has the most renters (21.7% rent).
Castle Hill has the shortest commute (19 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 | Crystal | Mapleton | Wade | Castle Hill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 247 |
1,884Highest |
244Lowest |
281 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
— | — |
| Median age | 63.2±8.4Highest 41% above ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
53.6±18.5 20% above ME |
57.8±15.8 29% above ME |
| Crystal and Castle Hill 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%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±6.7 ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±5.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Wade 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% |
34.8%±10.8 ME: 22.4% |
44.8%±6.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Crystal and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.2% ME: 36.2% |
26.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0%±6.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.4%±4.6 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±5.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Castle Hill 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 |
$41,818±$25kLowest 44% below ME |
$54,250±$14k 27% below ME |
| Mapleton and Castle Hill 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±$23kHighest 35% below ME |
$157,100±$109k 47% below ME |
$145,300±$18k 51% below ME |
| Mapleton and Wade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,563±$922Highest 37% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
— | $950±$574 17% below ME |
| Crystal and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $943Lowest 69% below ME |
$1,789Highest 41% below ME |
$1,655 45% below ME |
$1,449 52% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 14.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
75%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Castle Hill and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 14.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
4.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.8% ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
78.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 10% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
34 minHighest 37% above ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
| Work from home | 0%±15.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±6.8 ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Mapleton and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — | — |
| High school 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.