Compare towns
Mapleton vs Brewer vs Carmel
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 people working from home (10.8%).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Carmel has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.6%).
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 | Brewer | Carmel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,884Lowest |
9,652Highest |
2,941 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
+2.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
46.4±4.5Highest 4% above ME |
| Carmel 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% |
20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
18.6%±4.3Lowest 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% |
22.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
16.5%±5Lowest 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% |
35%Highest ME: 36.2% |
17.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.9%±1.3Lowest 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 |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$82,188±$22k 10% above ME |
| Mapleton and Carmel 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 |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
$256,800±$37kHighest 13% below ME |
| Carmel 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±$54 5% below ME |
$1,276±$187Highest 12% above ME |
| Carmel and Brewer 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 |
$3,374Highest 11% above ME |
$2,662 12% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±38.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Carmel and Brewer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5% ME: 10.7% |
13.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 13% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8 ME: 15.9% |
6.5%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mapleton and Brewer 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 | — | #32 of 133 in ME | #77 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 87/MSAD 23 |
| High school in town | None in town | Brewer High School | None in town |
| 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.