Compare towns
Mapleton vs Gilead vs Union vs Castle Hill
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).
Gilead has the most renters (43.5% rent).
Union has the most expensive homes ($268k median).
Castle Hill 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 | Gilead | Union | Castle Hill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884 |
187Lowest |
2,663Highest |
281 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— | +5.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
58.9±10.2Highest 31% above ME |
41.6±5.3Lowest 7% below ME |
57.8±15.8 29% above ME |
| Gilead and Castle Hill 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% |
12.3%±18.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.9%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±5.8 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% |
40.6%±10.5 ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
44.8%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Castle Hill and Gilead 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% |
18.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
0%±8.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±5.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Union 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 |
$42,344±$14kLowest 43% below ME |
$80,724±$9k 8% above ME |
$54,250±$14k 27% below 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 |
$235,000±$78k 21% below ME |
$267,600±$42kHighest 10% below ME |
$145,300±$18kLowest 51% below ME |
| Union and Gilead 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 |
$993±$190 13% below ME |
$1,179±$452Highest 4% above ME |
$950±$574 17% below ME |
| Union and Gilead 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 |
$1,183Lowest 61% below ME |
$3,276Highest 8% above ME |
$1,449 52% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
66%±41 ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8 ME: 48.4% |
75%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Castle Hill and Gilead 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% |
10.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
56.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.9% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1975Lowest 2 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
23 min 9% below ME |
29 minHighest 20% above ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
19.7%±13.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3 ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Gilead and Union 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 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | — | None in town | — |
| 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.