Compare towns
Mapleton vs Starks vs Howland
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%).
Starks has the most homeowners (90%).
Howland has the most renters (22.1% 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 | Starks | Howland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,884Highest |
556Lowest |
1,367 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-7.3% ME: +2.6% |
-11.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
46.7±9.4 4% above ME |
47.6±10.2Highest 6% above ME |
| Howland and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22%±5.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Howland 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% |
22.8%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Howland 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% ME: 36.2% |
12%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.1%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Howland 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 |
$49,297±$21kLowest 34% 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±$23kHighest 35% below ME |
$148,500±$27kLowest 50% below ME |
$150,100±$52k 49% below ME |
| Mapleton and Howland 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 |
$1,063±$301Highest 7% below ME |
$916±$246 20% below ME |
| Starks and Howland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789Highest 41% below ME |
$1,348Lowest 56% below ME |
$1,546 49% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±90.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
29%±18.2 ME: 48.4% |
| Starks and Howland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.2% ME: 10.7% |
25.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
77.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1970Lowest 7 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 13% above ME |
33 minHighest 33% above ME |
31 min 26% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
0%±3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — | RSU 31/MSAD 31 |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Penobscot Valley High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 8.9 |
| 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.