Compare towns
Mapleton vs Appleton vs Embden vs Castle Hill
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 the most expensive homes ($236k median).
Embden has the most people working from home (18.7%).
Castle Hill has the shortest commute (19 min average).
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 | Embden | Castle Hill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884Highest |
1,360 |
995 |
281Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
60.6±5.1Highest 35% above ME |
57.8±15.8 29% above ME |
| Embden and Castle Hill 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%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
13.2%±5.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±5.8 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Appleton 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% |
34.6%±9.5 ME: 22.4% |
44.8%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Castle Hill and Embden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
16.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
0.4%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±5.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Appleton 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 |
$56,875±$23k 24% below ME |
$54,250±$14k 27% below ME |
| Mapleton and Embden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$235,600±$33kHighest 21% below ME |
$173,400±$59k 42% below ME |
$145,300±$18kLowest 51% below ME |
| Appleton and Mapleton 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 |
— | $950±$574 17% below ME |
| Appleton and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789 41% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,804 41% below ME |
$1,449Lowest 52% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
75%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.9% ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
12.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
96.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
94.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
33 minHighest 34% above ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
18.7%±7.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Embden 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 | — | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — | — |
| 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.