Compare towns
Hope vs Standish vs Appleton vs Mount Vernon
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%).
Standish has the highest household income ($105k).
Appleton has the most affordable homes ($236k median).
Mount Vernon has the most people working from home (28.3%).
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 | Standish | Appleton | Mount Vernon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,748 |
10,662Highest |
1,360Lowest |
1,716 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2% ME: +2.6% |
+4.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.6±3.1 about the ME average |
40.5±2.8Lowest 10% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
47.1±6.2 5% above ME |
| Appleton and Mount Vernon 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% |
16.4%±3.1 ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.7%±5.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Hope and Mount Vernon 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% |
15.2%±2.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
26.5%±1.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Vernon and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
36% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
42.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.3 ME: 5.8% |
11.6%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
1.6%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $86,766±$6k 16% above ME |
$104,593±$15kHighest 40% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$74,395±$6k about the ME average |
| Standish and Hope 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 |
$336,000±$18k 13% above ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$264,200±$23k 11% below ME |
| Hope and Standish 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 |
$983±$453 14% below ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$893±$168Lowest 22% below ME |
| Hope and Appleton 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 |
$3,005 about the ME average |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$2,832Lowest 7% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.8%±38.7 ME: 48.4% |
57.4%±22.3 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±36.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Standish 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% |
7.3% ME: 10.7% |
9.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
91.2% ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 19% below ME |
29 min 20% above ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
13.6%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
28.3%±11.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Vernon 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 | — | #18 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | Hope Public Schools | RSU 06/MSAD 06 | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | None in town | Bonny Eagle High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— | — |
| 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.