Compare towns
Fairfield vs Mapleton vs Smithfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Fairfield has the most affordable homes ($164k median).
Mapleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (-3.2%).
Smithfield has the most people working from home (22%).
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 | Fairfield | Mapleton | Smithfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,519Highest |
1,884 |
856Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.7% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-10.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.1±4 4% below ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
55.8±3.5Highest 25% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 19.8%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
10%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Fairfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.7%±3.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
29.7%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
34.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Fairfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,101±$11kLowest 14% below ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$107,917±$27kHighest 44% above ME |
| Smithfield and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $164,300±$28kLowest 45% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$242,800±$15kHighest 18% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,001±$101 12% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,109±$358Highest about the ME average |
| Smithfield and Fairfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,217 27% below ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,866Highest 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.9%±12.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
42.9%±45.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 10.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
88.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Lowest 2 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
28 min 13% above ME |
33 minHighest 32% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.1%±5.4 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
22%±7.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Smithfield and Fairfield 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 | #47 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 49/MSAD 49 · Maine Academy of Natural Sciences | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — |
| High school in town | Lawrence High School | None in town | — |
| 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.