Compare towns
Exeter vs Mapleton vs Pittston vs Readfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Exeter has the most affordable homes ($167k median).
Mapleton has the most kids (22.2% under 18).
Pittston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.8%).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
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 | Exeter | Mapleton | Pittston | Readfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,093Lowest |
1,884 |
3,093Highest |
2,651 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
0% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 52.6±7.7Highest 17% above ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
41.4±5.9Lowest 8% below ME |
48.1±7.6 7% above ME |
| Exeter and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 9%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±7.4 ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±11.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±6.1 ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Exeter and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
26.7% ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±4.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Pittston and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $84,408±$12kLowest 13% above ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$86,614±$18k 16% above ME |
$86,504±$8k 16% above ME |
| Mapleton and Pittston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $166,700±$39kLowest 44% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$238,700±$66k 20% below ME |
$326,400±$20kHighest 10% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $995±$386 13% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,080±$593 5% below ME |
$1,125±$844Highest about the ME average |
| Readfield and Pittston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,602Lowest 47% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,909 37% below ME |
$3,392Highest 12% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±73.8 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±34.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Pittston and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.1% ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
10.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81% ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 43% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.3%±5.7 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
3.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Mapleton 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 | — | — | #123 of 133 in ME | #20 of 133 in ME |
| School district | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town | Maranacook Community High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | — | 11.5 |
| 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.