Compare towns
Jackson vs Appleton vs Castle Hill
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Jackson has the highest household income ($75k).
Appleton has the most expensive homes ($236k median).
Castle Hill has the shortest commute (19 min average).
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 | Jackson | Appleton | Castle Hill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 567 |
1,360Highest |
281Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +11.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 37.7±5.8Lowest 16% below ME |
49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
57.8±15.8Highest 29% above ME |
| Castle Hill and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±5.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Jackson and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.5%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
44.8%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
26.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±5.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Appleton and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $75,167±$19kHighest about the ME average |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$54,250±$14k 27% below ME |
| Jackson and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $231,500±$16k 22% below ME |
$235,600±$33kHighest 21% below ME |
$145,300±$18kLowest 51% below ME |
| Appleton and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $629±$12Lowest 45% below ME |
$1,104±$82Highest 3% below ME |
$950±$574 17% below ME |
| Appleton and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,651 13% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,449Lowest 52% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 6.3%±60.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
75%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1993Highest 16 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1982Lowest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 41% above ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
| Work from home | 15.3%±6.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Jackson and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Appleton Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.