Compare towns
Dedham vs Union vs Appleton vs Bucksport
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).
Union has the most people working from home (15.9%).
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
Bucksport has the most renters (25.7% 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 | Dedham | Union | Appleton | Bucksport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,656 |
2,663 |
1,360Lowest |
5,016Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.5% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.4% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2 4% above ME |
41.6±5.3Lowest 7% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
42.7±12.2 5% below ME |
| Appleton and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.8%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
24.9%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.9%±5.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Union and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
26.6%±7.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bucksport and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.4% ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
27.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Appleton and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$80,724±$9k 8% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$64,720±$21k 13% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,400±$33kHighest 20% above ME |
$267,600±$42k 10% below ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$252,300±$32k 15% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
$1,179±$452 4% above ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$882±$92Lowest 23% below ME |
| Dedham and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,942Highest 30% above ME |
$3,276 8% above ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$2,021Lowest 33% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
48.9%±17 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Bucksport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 9% ME: 10.7% |
10.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
6.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
74.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1975Lowest 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 22% above ME |
29 min 20% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
28 minLowest 15% above ME |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Union and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | — | #68 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | RSU 40/MSAD 40 | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 25 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | Bucksport High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | — | 13.1 |
| 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.