Compare towns
Mapleton vs Caribou vs Union 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 highest household income ($92k).
Caribou has the shortest commute (15 min average).
Union has the most people working from home (15.9%).
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 | Caribou | Union | Pittston |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884Lowest |
7,382Highest |
2,663 |
3,093 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-9.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.5% ME: +2.6% |
+7.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
51.3±1.7Highest 15% above ME |
41.6±5.3 7% below ME |
41.4±5.9Lowest 8% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.9%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
17.2%±7.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Union and Mapleton 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% |
27.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±6.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Caribou and Union 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% |
28.8% ME: 36.2% |
34.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±4.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Pittston 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 |
$53,709±$9kLowest 28% below ME |
$80,724±$9k 8% above ME |
$86,614±$18k 16% above ME |
| Mapleton and Pittston 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 |
$134,100±$31kLowest 55% below ME |
$267,600±$42kHighest 10% below ME |
$238,700±$66k 20% below ME |
| Union and Pittston 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 |
$757±$143 34% below ME |
$1,179±$452Highest 4% above ME |
$1,080±$593 5% below ME |
| Union and Pittston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789 41% below ME |
$1,680Lowest 45% below ME |
$3,276Highest 8% above ME |
$1,909 37% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
45.3%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8 ME: 48.4% |
57.6%±34.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Pittston and Caribou 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% |
15.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1960Lowest 17 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
15 minLowest 40% below ME |
29 minHighest 20% above ME |
26 min 7% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
12.5%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Union and Caribou 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 | — | #59 of 133 in ME | — | #123 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 39 | RSU 40/MSAD 40 | RSU 11/MSAD 11 |
| High school in town | None in town | Caribou High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.2 |
— | — |
| 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.