Compare towns
Mapleton vs Appleton vs Gray 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 most kids (22.2% under 18).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
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 | Gray | Castle Hill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884 |
1,360 |
8,429Highest |
281Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
57.8±15.8Highest 29% above ME |
| Castle Hill and Appleton 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% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±5.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Gray 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% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
44.8%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3% ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±5.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray 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±$25k 23% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$54,250±$14k 27% below ME |
| Gray and Mapleton 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±$33k 21% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$145,300±$18kLowest 51% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$950±$574 17% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789 41% below ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,449Lowest 52% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
4.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Appleton 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 | — | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.5 |
— |
| 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.