Compare towns
Mapleton vs Sidney vs Manchester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
Manchester has the most renters (51.3% rent).
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 | Sidney | Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,884Lowest |
4,790 |
115,643Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% above U.S. |
43±5.5Highest 11% above U.S. |
38±1Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Sidney and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±5.1 U.S.: 22% |
23.1%±5.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
18%±1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Sidney and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.3%±3.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
18.4%±3.6Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
15.5%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Sidney and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
33.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
34% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.4%±0.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Manchester 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±$25kHighest 14% above U.S. |
$83,488±$10k 3% above U.S. |
$81,007±$2kLowest about the U.S. average |
| Mapleton and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $191,800±$23kLowest 42% below U.S. |
$336,200±$34k about the U.S. average |
$365,600±$7kHighest 10% above U.S. |
| Manchester and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277Lowest 57% below U.S. |
$1,340±$304 5% below U.S. |
$1,564±$37Highest 11% above U.S. |
| Manchester and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789Lowest 43% below U.S. |
$2,474 21% below U.S. |
$5,922Highest 90% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
50%±3.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 8.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
89.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
48.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1996Highest 16 yrs newer than U.S. |
1966Lowest 14 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 5% above U.S. |
25 min 6% below U.S. |
24 minLowest 9% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.3%±5.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.1%±1.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Sidney and Manchester 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 | — | #15 of 133 in ME | #115 of 120 in NH |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 18 | Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies · Manchester School District |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Manchester Memorial High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 14.3 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 6 photos → |
U.S. 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.


