Compare towns
Mapleton vs Hermon vs Gardiner vs Washburn
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 kids (22.2% under 18).
Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).
Gardiner has the most people working from home (13.9%).
Washburn has the most affordable homes ($113k 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 | Hermon | Gardiner | Washburn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884 |
6,727Highest |
6,088 |
1,355Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+19.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.8% ME: +2.6% |
-9.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
41.1±4.7Lowest 8% below ME |
42±3.6 6% below ME |
48.2±7.7Highest 8% above ME |
| Washburn and Gardiner 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% |
21.6%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
16.6%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.7%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Washburn 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% |
19.7%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
24%±3.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Washburn and Hermon 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% |
37.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
29.8% ME: 36.2% |
26%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
3.6%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Hermon 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 |
$71,782±$10k 4% below ME |
$56,196±$6kLowest 25% below 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±$23k 35% below ME |
$333,600±$32kHighest 12% above ME |
$221,600±$19k 25% below ME |
$112,900±$14kLowest 62% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277 46% below ME |
$1,406±$202Highest 23% above ME |
$1,113±$191 about the ME average |
$482±$62Lowest 58% below ME |
| Hermon and Gardiner 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 |
$2,761Highest 9% below ME |
$2,742 10% below ME |
$1,571Lowest 48% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
28.2%±19.1 ME: 48.4% |
44.6%±13.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±24.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Gardiner and Washburn 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% |
10.5% ME: 10.7% |
12.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
75.2% ME: 74.3% |
68.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
78.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
2000Highest 23 yrs newer than ME |
1944Lowest 33 yrs older than ME |
1969 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
23 min 8% below ME |
30 minHighest 22% above ME |
21 minLowest 15% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
8.8%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
13.9%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.7%±3.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Gardiner 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 | #36 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Hermon Public Schools | RSU 11/MSAD 11 | RSU 45/MSAD 45 |
| High school in town | None in town | Hermon High School | Gardiner Area High School | Washburn District High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.6Highest |
11.8Lowest |
12.0 |
| 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.