Compare towns
Knox vs Mapleton vs Windham vs Brooks
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 most kids (22.2% under 18).
Windham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.4%).
Brooks has the oldest population (median age 45.9).
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 | Windham | Brooks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 825Lowest |
1,884 |
19,188Highest |
1,208 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.6% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+8.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.1±7.9Lowest 8% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
41.8±1.8 7% below ME |
45.9±6.6Highest about the ME average |
| Brooks 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% |
19.2%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.3%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±2.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
17%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Mapleton and Knox are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
44.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
27.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.6%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Mapleton 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±$25k 23% above ME |
$107,934±$14kHighest 44% above ME |
$59,130±$10kLowest 21% below ME |
| Windham and Mapleton 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±$23k 35% below ME |
$388,900±$22kHighest 31% above ME |
$196,700±$33k 34% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,375±$47Highest 21% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,232±$332 8% above ME |
$1,116±$112 about the ME average |
| Knox and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,610Lowest 47% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$3,938Highest 30% above ME |
$2,096 31% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 11.3%±31.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
32.7%±14.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
18%±17.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Windham and Brooks 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% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.1% ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1985 8 yrs newer than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 22% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 12.3%±7.4 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Windham and Brooks 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 | — | — | #95 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 14 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Windham High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.1 |
— |
| 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.