Compare towns
Mapleton vs Appleton vs Beals
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
Beals has the most people working from home (17.6%).
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 | Mapleton | Appleton | Beals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,884Highest |
1,360 |
498Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
48±15.6 7% above ME |
| Appleton and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±6.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Beals and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.8%±5.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Beals and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$64,063±$14k 14% below ME |
| Mapleton and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$256,700±$45kHighest 13% below ME |
| Beals and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,104±$82Highest 3% below ME |
$907±$378 20% below ME |
| Appleton and Beals are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$2,580 15% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
10.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
83.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
21 minLowest 17% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
17.6%±10.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Beals and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Appleton Public Schools | Beals Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.