Compare towns
Mapleton vs Bristol vs Gray
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).
Bristol has the most people working from home (25%).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
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 | Bristol | Gray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,884Lowest |
2,917 |
8,429Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.9% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
61±3.2Highest 36% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
13.9%±4.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Gray 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% |
42.8%±8.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
52.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
44.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray 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±$25kLowest 23% above ME |
$100,750±$19kHighest 35% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
| Bristol and Gray 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 |
$406,400±$54kHighest 37% above ME |
$363,700±$20k 23% above ME |
| Bristol and Gray 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 |
$1,051±$106 8% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,668 12% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
23.4%±19.2 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1968Lowest 9 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
18 minLowest 28% below ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
25%±8.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #16 of 133 in ME | #10 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Bristol Public Schools | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.5 |
| 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.