Compare towns
Mapleton vs Bowdoin vs Brewer
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 affordable homes ($192k median).
Bowdoin has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.5%).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 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 | Bowdoin | Brewer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,884Lowest |
3,188 |
9,652Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
44.3±10Highest about the ME average |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
| Bowdoin and Mapleton 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% |
19.1%±6.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Brewer and Mapleton 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% |
30.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
35%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer 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 |
$91,239±$13k 22% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
| Mapleton and Bowdoin 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 |
$292,800±$71kHighest about the ME average |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
| Bowdoin and Brewer 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 |
— | $1,086±$54Highest 5% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,375Highest 11% above ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
0%±42.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
11% ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±7Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bowdoin and Mapleton 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 | — | #28 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | Brewer Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Brewer High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 14.0 |
| 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.