Compare towns
Mapleton vs Springfield vs Unity vs Castle Hill
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 highest household income ($92k).
Springfield has the most affordable homes ($123k median).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
Castle Hill has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Unity is a college town. 30% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Springfield | Unity | Castle Hill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884Highest |
310 |
1,858 |
281Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— | +9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
52.4±7 17% above ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
57.8±15.8Highest 29% above ME |
| Castle Hill and Springfield 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% |
18.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±5.8 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
21.6%±5.4 ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
44.8%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
17.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
26.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
0.6%±3.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±5.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$60,833±$23k 19% below ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$54,250±$14kLowest 27% below ME |
| Mapleton and Unity 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 |
$122,500±$28kLowest 59% below ME |
$206,900±$28kHighest 30% below ME |
$145,300±$18k 51% below ME |
| Unity and Mapleton 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 |
— | $873±$73 23% below ME |
$950±$574Highest 17% below ME |
| Castle Hill and Unity 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 |
$1,067Lowest 65% below ME |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$1,449 52% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
— | 44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
75%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Castle Hill and Unity 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% |
5.5% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
96.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
30 minHighest 21% above ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
9.6%±5.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | — |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Ecology Learning Ctr | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.4 |
— |
| 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.