Compare towns
Dexter vs Chapman vs Ripley
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dexter has the most people working from home (12.1%).
Chapman has the most kids (27.6% under 18).
Ripley has the most affordable homes ($144k median).
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 | Dexter | Chapman | Ripley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,822Highest |
388Lowest |
436 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.4% ME: +2.6% |
— | — |
| Median age | 51±6.8Highest 14% above ME |
45.7±11.4Lowest about the ME average |
47.7±5.3 6% above ME |
| Dexter and Ripley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.2%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
27.6%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±6.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Chapman and Ripley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.7%±4.4 ME: 22.4% |
27.6%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.7%±4.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Chapman and Dexter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
22.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
19.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±2.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±6 ME: 5.8% |
| Chapman and Ripley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $51,845±$18kLowest 31% below ME |
$93,125±$17kHighest 25% above ME |
$64,821±$13k 13% below ME |
| Chapman and Ripley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $170,600±$52k 42% below ME |
$185,700±$22kHighest 37% below ME |
$144,300±$33kLowest 51% below ME |
| Chapman and Dexter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $838±$119Lowest 26% below ME |
— | $1,091±$281Highest 4% below ME |
| Ripley and Dexter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,186Highest 28% below ME |
$1,850 39% below ME |
$1,270Lowest 58% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 65.2%±20.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
11.5%±73.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Dexter and Ripley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 23.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
11.9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 7% below ME |
23 min 6% below ME |
32 minHighest 28% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.1%±8Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
6.5%±6.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Dexter and Ripley 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 | #113 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | MSAD 46 | — | — |
| High school in town | Dexter Regional High School | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.3 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.