Compare towns
East Millinocket vs Mapleton vs Strong vs Union
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
East Millinocket has the most affordable homes ($86k median).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Union has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.5%).
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 | East Millinocket | Mapleton | Strong | Union |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,495 |
1,884 |
1,249Lowest |
2,663Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -8.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.5% ME: +2.6% |
+5.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±8.7 about the ME average |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
41.6±5.3Lowest 7% below ME |
| Strong and East Millinocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.4%±6.1 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
19.5%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.9%±4Highest 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+ | 25.8%±6.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
| East Millinocket and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
26.5% ME: 36.2% |
34.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±3 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and East Millinocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $42,011±$7kLowest 44% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$47,557±$10k 36% below ME |
$80,724±$9k 8% above 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 | $86,200±$7kLowest 71% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$183,900±$29k 38% below ME |
$267,600±$42kHighest 10% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $449±$150Lowest 61% below ME |
$610±$277 46% below ME |
$920±$276 19% below ME |
$1,179±$452Highest 4% above ME |
| Union and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,149Lowest 62% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,950 36% below ME |
$3,276Highest 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 74.1%±21.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4 ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 21.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13.9% ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
85.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Lowest 17 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1971 6 yrs older than ME |
1979Highest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 28% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
29 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±7.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | East Millinocket Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | RSU 40/MSAD 40 |
| High school in town | Schenck High School | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1 |
— | — | — |
| 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.