Compare towns
Mapleton vs Gray vs Buxton 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 most affordable homes ($192k median).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
Buxton has the highest household income ($100k).
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 | Gray | Buxton | Union |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884Lowest |
8,429 |
8,512Highest |
2,663 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3% ME: +2.6% |
+5.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
45.5±3.9Highest about the ME average |
41.6±5.3Lowest 7% below ME |
| Buxton and Gray 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% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
16.2%±3.6Lowest 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% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
19.2%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Union and Gray 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% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Gray 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±$25k 23% above ME |
$95,236±$8k 27% above ME |
$100,144±$21kHighest 34% above ME |
$80,724±$9kLowest 8% above ME |
| Buxton and Gray 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 |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$356,800±$21k 20% above ME |
$267,600±$42k 10% below ME |
| Gray and Buxton 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 |
$1,371±$89 20% above ME |
$1,613±$266Highest 42% above ME |
$1,179±$452 4% above ME |
| Buxton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$3,422 13% above ME |
$3,276 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±26.5 ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Buxton 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% |
3.5% ME: 10.7% |
2.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
80.3% ME: 74.3% |
85.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 13% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
29 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±3.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Union and Gray 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | #104 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 06/MSAD 06 | RSU 40/MSAD 40 |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— | — |
| 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.