Compare towns
Mapleton vs Brooks vs Harrington
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 highest household income ($92k).
Brooks has the most people working from home (14.5%).
Harrington has the most affordable homes ($145k 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 | Brooks | Harrington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,884Highest |
1,208 |
917Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-4.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
49.2±12.1Highest 10% above ME |
| Harrington and Brooks 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% |
17.1%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
15.7%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Brooks 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% |
17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
32%±9.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
27.5% ME: 36.2% |
27.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks 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 |
$59,130±$10kLowest 21% below ME |
$64,861±$17k 13% below ME |
| Mapleton and Harrington 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 |
$196,700±$33kHighest 34% below ME |
$144,600±$71kLowest 51% below ME |
| Brooks and Mapleton 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 |
$1,116±$112Highest about the ME average |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789 41% below ME |
$2,096Highest 31% below ME |
$1,777Lowest 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
18%±17.3 ME: 48.4% |
79.3%±39Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
13.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
83.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 13% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
20 minLowest 21% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±2.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
1.7%±1.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Brooks and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 37/MSAD 37 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Narraguagus High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.2 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.

