Compare towns
Mapleton vs Starks vs Brownfield 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 highest household income ($92k).
Starks has the most homeowners (90%).
Brownfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.1%).
Washburn has the shortest commute (21 min average).
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 | Starks | Brownfield | Washburn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884Highest |
556Lowest |
1,830 |
1,355 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.3% ME: +2.6% |
+2.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-9.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
46.7±9.4 4% above ME |
39.9±6.8Lowest 11% below ME |
48.2±7.7Highest 8% above ME |
| Washburn and Starks 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% |
16.4%±4.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
26.7%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
21.7%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Brownfield 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% |
20.3%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
24%±3.7Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Washburn and Starks 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 ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
25.3% ME: 36.2% |
26% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
0.7%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.6%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Washburn 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 |
$63,500±$8k 15% below ME |
$60,889±$5k 19% below ME |
$56,196±$6kLowest 25% below ME |
| Mapleton and Starks 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 |
$148,500±$27k 50% below ME |
$287,500±$36kHighest 3% below ME |
$112,900±$14kLowest 62% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277 46% below ME |
$1,063±$301 7% below ME |
$1,617±$554Highest 42% above ME |
$482±$62Lowest 58% below ME |
| Brownfield and Starks 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 |
$1,348Lowest 56% below ME |
$2,976Highest about the ME average |
$1,571 48% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
61.8%±43.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±24.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Brownfield and Starks 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% |
19.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
87.7% ME: 74.3% |
78.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
33 min 33% above ME |
44 minHighest 80% above ME |
21 minLowest 15% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
9.5%±4.5 ME: 15.9% |
9.7%±3.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Mapleton and Washburn 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 72/MSAD 72 | RSU 45/MSAD 45 |
| High school in town | None in town | — | None in town | Washburn District High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | — | 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.