Compare towns
Hope vs Bath vs Appleton vs Readfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hope has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.5%).
Bath has the most renters (35.7% rent).
Appleton has the most affordable homes ($236k median).
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 | Hope | Bath | Appleton | Readfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,748 |
8,815Highest |
1,360Lowest |
2,651 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2% ME: +2.6% |
0%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.6±3.1Lowest about the ME average |
45.4±3 about the ME average |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
48.1±7.6 7% above ME |
| Appleton and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7 ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Hope and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 21.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.4% ME: 36.2% |
42.5% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Bath and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $86,766±$6kHighest 16% above ME |
$69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$86,504±$8k 16% above ME |
| Hope and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $373,400±$33kHighest 26% above ME |
$310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$326,400±$20k 10% above ME |
| Hope and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,219±$182Highest 7% above ME |
$1,044±$116Lowest 8% below ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,125±$844 about the ME average |
| Hope and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,842 27% above ME |
$3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$3,392Lowest 12% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.8%±38.7 ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 5.3% ME: 10.7% |
12.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
64.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 19% below ME |
24 min about the ME average |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Bath 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 | — | #31 of 133 in ME | — | #20 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Hope Public Schools | RSU 01 - LKRSU | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | None in town | Morse High School | None in town | Maranacook Community High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.8Highest |
— | 11.5Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.