Compare towns
Mapleton vs Brooks vs Mount Desert 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 kids (22.2% under 18).
Brooks has the most renters (25.4% rent).
Mount Desert has the most expensive homes ($522k 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 | Brooks | Mount Desert | Pittston |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884 |
1,208Lowest |
1,671 |
3,093Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.5% ME: +2.6% |
+7.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
54.9±8.2Highest 23% above ME |
41.4±5.9Lowest 8% below ME |
| Mount Desert 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% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±7.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Pittston 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% |
29.1%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±6.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Desert 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% |
27.5% ME: 36.2% |
64.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±4.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±4.1 ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Pittston 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 |
$59,130±$10kLowest 21% below ME |
$92,813±$9kHighest 24% above ME |
$86,614±$18k 16% above ME |
| Mount Desert 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 |
$196,700±$33k 34% below ME |
$522,100±$66kHighest 76% above ME |
$238,700±$66k 20% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,116±$112 about the ME average |
$1,341±$89Highest 18% above ME |
$1,080±$593 5% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,096 31% below ME |
$3,512Highest 16% above ME |
$1,909 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
18%±17.3 ME: 48.4% |
33.9%±31.5 ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±34.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Pittston and Mount Desert 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% |
19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older 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 |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
19.1%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Desert and Brooks 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 | — | — | — | #123 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | Mount Desert Public Schools | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.