Compare towns
Howland vs Mapleton vs Randolph vs Alton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Howland has the most affordable homes ($150k median).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Randolph has grown the fastest since 2010 (-1.6%).
Alton has the most people working from home (15.3%).
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 | Howland | Mapleton | Randolph | Alton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,367 |
1,884Highest |
1,610 |
819Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-1.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-6.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.6±10.2 6% above ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
49.6±3.4Highest 11% above ME |
49.1±5.9 10% above ME |
| Randolph and Alton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22%±5.3 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
12.7%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Howland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 22.8%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.8%±2.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.7%±2.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Randolph and Howland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 12%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
16.8% ME: 36.2% |
16.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.1%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Howland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $49,297±$21kLowest 34% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$66,574±$16k 11% below ME |
$62,955±$9k 16% below ME |
| Mapleton and Randolph are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $150,100±$52kLowest 49% below ME |
$191,800±$23kHighest 35% below ME |
$174,300±$21k 41% below ME |
$179,500±$25k 39% below ME |
| Mapleton and Alton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $916±$246 20% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,186±$207Highest 4% above ME |
$866±$48 24% below ME |
| Randolph and Howland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,546 49% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$2,160Highest 29% below ME |
$1,476Lowest 51% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 29%±18.2 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
11.3%±8.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
76.3%±88.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Alton and Howland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 25.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
15.7% ME: 10.7% |
24.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.9% ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
77.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
83.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1970 7 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 26% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 0%±3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
4.3%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
15.3%±7.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Alton and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | RSU 31/MSAD 31 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — | RSU 34 |
| High school in town | Penobscot Valley High School | None in town | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.9 |
— | — | — |
| 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.