Compare towns
Mapleton vs Hermon vs Brewer 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).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Brewer has the shortest commute (17 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 | Hermon | Brewer | Union |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884Lowest |
6,727 |
9,652Highest |
2,663 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2% ME: +2.6% |
+5.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6Highest 7% below ME |
41.1±4.7 8% below ME |
40.1±4.8Lowest 10% below ME |
41.6±5.3 7% below ME |
| Mapleton and Union 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% |
21.6%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
20.9%±4.3Lowest 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% |
20.4%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
22.4%±3.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Brewer 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
37.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
35% ME: 36.2% |
34.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
7.7%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Brewer 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 |
$96,629±$22kHighest 29% above ME |
$66,613±$9kLowest 11% below ME |
$80,724±$9k 8% above ME |
| Hermon and Mapleton 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 |
$333,600±$32kHighest 12% above ME |
$245,300±$21k 17% below ME |
$267,600±$42k 10% below ME |
| Hermon and Union 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 |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$1,086±$54 5% below ME |
$1,179±$452 4% above ME |
| Hermon and Union 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 |
$2,761 9% below ME |
$3,374Highest 11% above ME |
$3,276 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
55.7%±13.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Brewer and Hermon 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% |
6.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
75.2% ME: 74.3% |
59.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
85.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
17 minLowest 31% below ME |
29 minHighest 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.8Lowest 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 | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #54 of 133 in ME | #32 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Hermon Public Schools | Brewer Public Schools | RSU 40/MSAD 40 |
| High school in town | None in town | Hermon High School | Brewer High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.6Highest |
14.0Lowest |
— |
| 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.