Compare towns
Mapleton vs Shirley vs Whiting
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 people working from home (10.8%).
Shirley has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Whiting has the oldest population (median age 50).
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 | Shirley | Whiting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,884Highest |
234Lowest |
506 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
— | — |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
42±8.2 6% below ME |
50±5Highest 12% above ME |
| Whiting and Shirley 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% |
16.2%±9.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.8%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Whiting 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% |
26.5%±10.1 ME: 22.4% |
27.5%±6.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Whiting and Shirley 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% |
30.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.3%±5.1 ME: 5.8% |
2.8%±1.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Shirley 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 |
$61,875±$22k 17% below ME |
$55,263±$2kLowest 26% below ME |
| Mapleton and Shirley 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 |
$219,600±$36kHighest 26% below ME |
$214,200±$52k 28% below ME |
| Shirley and Whiting are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277Highest 46% below ME |
— | $600±$333Lowest 47% below ME |
| Mapleton and Whiting 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 |
$2,522Highest 17% below ME |
$1,728Lowest 43% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
— | 33.3%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Whiting and Mapleton 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% |
17%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
99%Highest ME: 74.3% |
93.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1984Highest 7 yrs newer than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 13% above ME |
21 minLowest 17% below ME |
22 min 10% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
5.3%±4.9 ME: 15.9% |
5.1%±2.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mapleton and Shirley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — | Whiting Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.