Compare towns
Mapleton vs Brewer vs Gray vs Washburn
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).
Brewer has the most renters (40.3% rent).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Washburn has the most affordable homes ($113k median).
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 | Gray | Washburn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884 |
9,652Highest |
8,429 |
1,355Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-9.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
48.2±7.7Highest 8% above ME |
| Washburn 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% |
20.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.7%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Washburn 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% |
22.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
24%±3.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Washburn and Brewer 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% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
3.6%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer and Gray 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 |
$66,613±$9k 11% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$56,196±$6kLowest 25% 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 |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$112,900±$14kLowest 62% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277 46% below ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$482±$62Lowest 58% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789 41% below ME |
$3,374 11% above ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,571Lowest 48% 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%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±24.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Brewer 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% |
12.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1969 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
21 min 15% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.7%±3.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Gray 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 | — | #32 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 45/MSAD 45 |
| High school in town | None in town | Brewer High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Washburn District High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.0Highest |
12.5 |
12.0Lowest |
| 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.