Compare towns
Mapleton vs Crystal vs Washburn vs Union
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).
Crystal has the oldest population (median age 63.2).
Washburn has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Union has the most people working from home (15.9%).
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 | Crystal | Washburn | Union |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884 |
247Lowest |
1,355 |
2,663Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
— | -9.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
63.2±8.4Highest 41% above ME |
48.2±7.7 8% above ME |
41.6±5.3Lowest 7% below ME |
| Crystal and Washburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±11.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.7%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
24.9%±4Highest 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% |
49%±5.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
24%±3.7 ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3% ME: 36.2% |
22.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26% ME: 36.2% |
34.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
0%±6.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.6%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Washburn 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 |
$48,125±$13kLowest 36% below ME |
$56,196±$6k 25% below ME |
$80,724±$9k 8% above ME |
| Mapleton and Union 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 |
$129,200±$60k 56% below ME |
$112,900±$14kLowest 62% below ME |
$267,600±$42kHighest 10% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277 46% below ME |
$1,563±$922Highest 37% above ME |
$482±$62Lowest 58% below ME |
$1,179±$452 4% above ME |
| Crystal and Union 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 |
$943Lowest 69% below ME |
$1,571 48% below ME |
$3,276Highest 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
14.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±24.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Washburn and Union 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% |
14.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12.7% ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
92.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1974 3 yrs older than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1979Highest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
27 min 10% above ME |
21 minLowest 15% below ME |
29 minHighest 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
0%±15.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
9.7%±3.9 ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Union 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 45/MSAD 45 | RSU 40/MSAD 40 |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Washburn District High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.0 |
— |
| 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.