Compare towns
Mapleton vs Readfield vs Exeter 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 renters (20.1% rent).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
Exeter has the most affordable homes ($167k median).
Union has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.5%).
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 | Readfield | Exeter | Union |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884 |
2,651 |
1,093Lowest |
2,663Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
0% ME: +2.6% |
-11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
48.1±7.6 7% above ME |
52.6±7.7Highest 17% above ME |
41.6±5.3Lowest 7% below ME |
| Exeter and Readfield 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% |
18.7%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
9%±3.1Lowest 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% |
22.3%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
23.9%±11.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Exeter and Readfield 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% |
48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
15%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.4%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5 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 |
$86,504±$8k 16% above ME |
$84,408±$12k 13% above ME |
$80,724±$9kLowest 8% above ME |
| Mapleton and Readfield 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 |
$326,400±$20kHighest 10% above ME |
$166,700±$39kLowest 44% below ME |
$267,600±$42k 10% below ME |
| Readfield 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 |
$1,125±$844 about the ME average |
$995±$386 13% below ME |
$1,179±$452Highest 4% above ME |
| Union and Readfield 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 |
$3,392Highest 12% above ME |
$1,602Lowest 47% below ME |
$3,276 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
31.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±73.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Exeter and Readfield 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% |
5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.1% ME: 10.7% |
10.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.9% ME: 74.3% |
93.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 13% above ME |
30 min 20% above ME |
35 minHighest 43% above ME |
29 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
24.3%±14.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±5.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Readfield and Union 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 | — | #20 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 38 | — | RSU 40/MSAD 40 |
| High school in town | None in town | Maranacook Community High Sch | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.5 |
— | — |
| 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.