Compare towns
Mapleton vs Bowdoin vs Gray vs Pittston
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 the most homeowners (84.7%).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Pittston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.8%).
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 | Gray | Pittston |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884Lowest |
3,188 |
8,429Highest |
3,093 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.5% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
+7.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
44.3±10Highest about the ME average |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.4±5.9Lowest 8% below ME |
| Bowdoin and Gray 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%±6.2 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±7.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Bowdoin 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% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±6.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Pittston 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% 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% |
2.5%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±4.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$91,239±$13k 22% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$86,614±$18kLowest 16% above 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±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$292,800±$71k about the ME average |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$238,700±$66k 20% below ME |
| Gray and Bowdoin 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 |
— | $1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,080±$593 5% below ME |
| Gray and Pittston 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 |
$3,375 11% above ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,909 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
0%±42.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±34.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Pittston and Gray 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% |
11%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
81% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
26 minLowest 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±7 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Gray and Bowdoin 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 | #10 of 133 in ME | #123 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| 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.