Compare towns
Knox vs Mapleton vs Strong vs Canton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Knox has the most affordable homes ($160k median).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Canton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+13.6%).
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 | Knox | Mapleton | Strong | Canton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 825Lowest |
1,884Highest |
1,249 |
1,191 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.6% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+13.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.1±7.9Lowest 8% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
41.4±7.2 8% below ME |
| Strong and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 13.9%±4.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.5%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.3%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
27.7%±6.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Canton and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.5% ME: 36.2% |
23.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.6%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±2.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Knox are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $64,821±$9k 13% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$47,557±$10kLowest 36% below ME |
$52,458±$35k 30% below ME |
| Mapleton and Knox are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $159,600±$26kLowest 46% below ME |
$191,800±$23kHighest 35% below ME |
$183,900±$29k 38% below ME |
$165,000±$50k 44% below ME |
| Mapleton and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,375±$47Highest 21% above ME |
$610±$277 46% below ME |
$920±$276 19% below ME |
$485±$18Lowest 57% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,610Lowest 47% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,950 36% below ME |
$2,277Highest 25% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 11.3%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4 ME: 48.4% |
88.9%±33.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Canton and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.6% ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
13.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.1% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1975 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 22% above ME |
28 minLowest 13% above ME |
31 min 26% above ME |
35 minHighest 42% above ME |
| Work from home | 12.3%±7.4 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.1%±6.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town | — |
| 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.