Compare towns
Manchester vs Appleton vs Readfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Manchester has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
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 | Manchester | Appleton | Readfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,424 |
1,360Lowest |
2,651Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
0% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.9±4.6Lowest 5% above ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
48.1±7.6 7% above ME |
| Appleton and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.7%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Manchester and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.6%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.3%±4.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.5% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Appleton and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $92,031±$16kHighest 23% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$86,504±$8k 16% above ME |
| Manchester and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $299,600±$40k about the ME average |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$326,400±$20kHighest 10% above ME |
| Readfield and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $993±$116Lowest 13% below ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,125±$844Highest about the ME average |
| Readfield and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,486 15% above ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$3,392Lowest 12% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.9%±18.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85% ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 19% below ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.9%±5.7 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Manchester 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 | — | — | #20 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 38 | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Maranacook Community High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.5 |
| 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.