Compare towns
Gardiner vs Mapleton vs Brunswick
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).
Mapleton has the most kids (22.2% under 18).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.3%).
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 | Gardiner | Mapleton | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,088 |
1,884Lowest |
22,336Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.8% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42±3.6Highest 6% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
40±2.8Lowest 11% 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%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±2.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.7%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±2.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Brunswick and Gardiner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
53.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
13.3%±1.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,782±$10kLowest 4% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$74,952±$6k about the ME average |
| Mapleton and Brunswick 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 |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$376,300±$15kHighest 27% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,113±$191 about the ME average |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,469±$99Highest 29% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,742 10% below ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$4,756Highest 57% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.6%±13.7 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±8.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Gardiner 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% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
7.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
71.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 33 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
23 minLowest 5% below ME |
| Work from home | 13.9%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Brunswick 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 | — | #30 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Brunswick Public Schools · Brunswick-Region 10 |
| High school in town | Gardiner Area High School | None in town | Brunswick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.8Highest |
— | 10.9Lowest |
| 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.