Compare towns
Liberty vs Mapleton vs Orono
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Liberty has the most people working from home (14.4%).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Orono has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.9%).
Orono is a college town. 56.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Liberty | Mapleton | Orono |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 969Lowest |
1,884 |
11,902Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.3% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.5±6.8 10% below ME |
41.8±6Highest 7% below ME |
21.8±0.3Lowest 51% below ME |
| Mapleton and Liberty are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.4%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
6.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Liberty are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.8%±2.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
11.4%±1.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Liberty and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.4% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
66.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.4%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
56.1%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,146±$15k 5% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$61,528±$5kLowest 18% below ME |
| Mapleton and Liberty are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $229,600±$31k 23% below ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$272,600±$40kHighest 8% below ME |
| Orono and Liberty are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $559±$193Lowest 51% below ME |
$610±$277 46% below ME |
$1,255±$112Highest 10% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,434 20% below ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$4,830Highest 59% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.5%±42.4 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
58.1%±10.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Orono and Liberty are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 14.8% ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
24.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
46.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Highest 4 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 38 minHighest 56% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
15 minLowest 38% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.4%±8.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.3%±3.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Liberty and Orono 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 | — | — | #26 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 26 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Orono High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.7 |
| 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.