Compare towns
Hope vs Mapleton vs Gray 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%).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Gray has the highest household income ($95k).
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 | Mapleton | Gray | Readfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,748Lowest |
1,884 |
8,429Highest |
2,651 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
0% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.6±3.1 about the ME average |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
48.1±7.6Highest 7% above ME |
| Readfield and Hope 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% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Hope and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 21.1%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Readfield and Hope 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% |
34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $86,766±$6k 16% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$86,504±$8kLowest 16% above ME |
| Gray and Mapleton 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 |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
$326,400±$20k 10% above ME |
| Hope and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,219±$182 7% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,125±$844 about the ME average |
| Gray and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,842Highest 27% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,683 21% above ME |
$3,392 12% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.8%±38.7 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Hope 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% |
8.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 19% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
30 minHighest 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Hope 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 | — | — | #10 of 133 in ME | #20 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Hope Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Maranacook Community High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.5Highest |
11.5Lowest |
| 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.