Compare towns
Lake Arrowhead vs Mapleton vs Millinocket vs Buckfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Lake Arrowhead has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.9%).
Mapleton has the most renters (20.1% rent).
Millinocket has the most affordable homes ($104k median).
Buckfield has the most people working from home (15.6%).
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 | Lake Arrowhead | Mapleton | Millinocket | Buckfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 3,322 |
1,884Lowest |
4,115Highest |
2,403 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-8.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-1.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 33±2.4Lowest 26% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
54.2±6.2Highest 21% above ME |
37.7±10.1 16% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 26.9%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±5.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
25.7%±7.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Lake Arrowhead and Buckfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 7.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
36.2%±8.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
13.7%±2.7 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26.9% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
18.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
4%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Lake Arrowhead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $98,654±$9kHighest 32% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$51,007±$9kLowest 32% below ME |
$77,917±$41k 4% above ME |
| Lake Arrowhead and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $267,300±$19kHighest 10% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$103,800±$26kLowest 65% below ME |
$227,700±$18k 23% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,288±$327Highest 101% above ME |
$610±$277 46% below ME |
$451±$130Lowest 60% below ME |
$521±$33 54% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,286 25% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,580Lowest 48% below ME |
$2,860Highest 6% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±36.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
20.5%±11Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±55Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Millinocket and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 2.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
17.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.8% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.7% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.1% ME: 74.3% |
94.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1995Highest 18 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1956Lowest 21 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 39 minHighest 57% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
24 minLowest about the ME average |
31 min 25% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±4 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
6.6%±4.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±12.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Buckfield and Mapleton 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 | — | — | #98 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Millinocket Public Schools | RSU 10 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Stearns Jr-Sr High School | Buckfield Jr-Sr High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.6Highest |
10.2Lowest |
| 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.