Compare towns
Hiram vs Mapleton vs Strong vs Bradley
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hiram has the most expensive homes ($257k median).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Bradley has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.7%).
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 | Hiram | Mapleton | Strong | Bradley |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,748 |
1,884Highest |
1,249Lowest |
1,645 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.7% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.6±10.2Lowest 7% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
42.6±9.7 5% below ME |
| Strong and Bradley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.5%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.9%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Bradley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 15.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.5%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Strong and Bradley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.5% ME: 36.2% |
22.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.6%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.2%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Bradley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $62,813±$10k 16% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$47,557±$10kLowest 36% below ME |
$76,667±$28k about the ME average |
| Mapleton and Bradley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,600±$42kHighest 13% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$183,900±$29kLowest 38% below ME |
$201,800±$37k 32% below ME |
| Hiram and Bradley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,070±$161 6% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$920±$276 19% below ME |
$1,088±$325Highest 4% below ME |
| Bradley and Hiram are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,106Highest 31% below ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$1,950 36% below ME |
$1,946 36% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.4%±24.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4 ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±22.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Hiram and Bradley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.6% ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
13.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.8% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 1 yr older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 28% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
31 min 26% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
| Work from home | 8.6%±3.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.1%±7.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Bradley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | RSU 55/MSAD 55 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | RSU 34 |
| High school in town | Sacopee Valley High Sch | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.9 |
— | — | — |
| 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.