Compare towns
Mapleton vs Beals vs Searsmont
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).
Beals has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Searsmont has grown the fastest since 2010 (+0.6%).
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 | Beals | Searsmont |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,884Highest |
498Lowest |
1,646 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+0.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
48±15.6Highest 7% above ME |
44.5±9.8 about the ME average |
| Beals and Searsmont 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% |
16.1%±6.5 ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±3.6Lowest 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% |
30.1%±5.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
21%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3% ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
31.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.8%±5.5 ME: 5.8% |
10%±6.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Searsmont and Beals 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 |
$64,063±$14kLowest 14% below ME |
$87,000±$20k 16% above ME |
| Mapleton and Searsmont 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 |
$256,700±$45k 13% below ME |
$284,000±$31kHighest 4% below ME |
| Searsmont and Beals 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 |
$907±$378 20% below ME |
$940±$311Highest 17% below ME |
| Searsmont 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 |
$2,580 15% below ME |
$2,788Highest 8% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
7.4%±71.2Lowest ME: 48.4% |
41.4%±41.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Searsmont and Mapleton 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% |
10.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
83.9% ME: 74.3% |
90.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1974Lowest 3 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 13% above ME |
21 minLowest 17% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.6%±10.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
16.3%±10.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Beals and Searsmont are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Beals Public Schools | RSU 71 |
| 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.

