Compare towns
Limestone vs Machias vs Mapleton vs Calais
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Limestone has the most people working from home (14.5%).
Machias has the most renters (50.3% rent).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Calais has grown the fastest since 2010 (-1.4%).
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 | Limestone | Machias | Mapleton | Calais |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,579Lowest |
2,020 |
1,884 |
3,097Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -34.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-7.2% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-1.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.3±4.9Highest about the ME average |
40.8±9.6Lowest 9% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
43.8±5.1 about the ME average |
| Limestone and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.7%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
15.9%±4.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 21.7%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
20.2%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.1%±5.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Calais and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.3% ME: 36.2% |
16%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 9.5%±4.7 ME: 5.8% |
12.7%±3.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Machias and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $49,938±$8k 33% below ME |
$34,375±$16kLowest 54% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$64,096±$10k 14% below ME |
| Mapleton and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $98,400±$18kLowest 67% below ME |
$141,300±$17k 52% below ME |
$191,800±$23kHighest 35% below ME |
$111,100±$36k 63% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $754±$233 34% below ME |
$692±$276 39% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,010±$199Highest 11% below ME |
| Calais and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,332Lowest 56% below ME |
$1,885Highest 38% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,684 45% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 32%±12.4 ME: 48.4% |
58.9%±22.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
53.7%±20.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Machias and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 16.4% ME: 10.7% |
25.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
21.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 61.2% ME: 74.3% |
49.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
73.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1971 6 yrs older than ME |
1977Highest same as ME |
1969 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 24% below ME |
16 min 33% below ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
16 minLowest 35% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±5.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.7%±9.3 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Limestone and Machias 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 | — | — | — | #48 of 133 in ME |
| School district | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics · Limestone Public Schools | Machias Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Calais Public Schools |
| High school in town | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics | Machias Memorial High School | None in town | Calais Middle/High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.6Lowest |
10.4 |
— | 12.0Highest |
| 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.