Compare towns
Gardiner vs Lisbon vs Mapleton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gardiner has the most renters (31.8% rent).
Lisbon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.8%).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
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 | Gardiner | Lisbon | Mapleton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,088 |
9,750Highest |
1,884Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.8% ME: +2.6% |
+7.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42±3.6Highest 6% below ME |
38.4±2.9Lowest 14% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
| Gardiner and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.6%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 19.7%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
16.2%±3.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Gardiner and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.8% ME: 36.2% |
23.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.3%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,782±$10kLowest 4% below ME |
$77,819±$9k 4% above ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
| Mapleton and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $221,600±$19k 25% below ME |
$258,300±$26kHighest 13% below ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
| Lisbon and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,113±$191Highest about the ME average |
$979±$286 14% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
| Gardiner and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,742 10% below ME |
$3,324Highest 9% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.6%±13.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
43.4%±14.2 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gardiner and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
74.8% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 33 yrs older than ME |
1973 4 yrs older than ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
29 min 17% above ME |
28 minLowest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 13.9%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
18.1%±9.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Lisbon and Gardiner 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 | #36 of 133 in ME | #60 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | Lisbon Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 |
| High school in town | Gardiner Area High School | Lisbon High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.8Lowest |
15.8Highest |
— |
| 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.