Compare towns
Mapleton vs Friendship vs Strong
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).
Friendship has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.9%).
Strong has the most affordable homes ($184k 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 | Friendship | Strong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,884Highest |
1,213Lowest |
1,249 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-0.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
55.5±6.9Highest 24% above ME |
47.5±8.9 6% above ME |
| Friendship and Strong 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% |
15.3%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.5%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Strong 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% |
37.3%±4.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3% ME: 36.2% |
39.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.8%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Strong 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 |
$75,625±$22k about the ME average |
$47,557±$10kLowest 36% below ME |
| Mapleton and Friendship 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 |
$275,000±$56kHighest 7% below ME |
$183,900±$29kLowest 38% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,370±$53Highest 20% above ME |
$920±$276 19% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,218Highest 27% below ME |
$1,950 36% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
37.5%±42.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4 ME: 48.4% |
| Friendship and Strong 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% |
10% ME: 10.7% |
13.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Highest same as ME |
1973 4 yrs older than ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
17.9%±7.4 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Friendship 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 40/MSAD 40 | RSU 58/MSAD 58 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.