Compare towns
Mapleton vs Starks vs Millinocket vs East Machias
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%).
Millinocket has the most affordable homes ($104k median).
East Machias has the shortest commute (18 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 | Millinocket | East Machias |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884 |
556Lowest |
4,115Highest |
1,223 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.3% ME: +2.6% |
-8.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
46.7±9.4 4% above ME |
54.2±6.2Highest 21% above ME |
42.8±2.9 4% below ME |
| Millinocket 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%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±5.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±4.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| East Machias 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% |
36.2%±8.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
19.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21% ME: 36.2% |
18.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
33.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.9%±1.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Millinocket 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 |
$51,007±$9kLowest 32% below ME |
$57,589±$10k 23% 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 |
$103,800±$26kLowest 65% below ME |
$210,800±$23kHighest 29% below ME |
| East Machias and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277 46% below ME |
$1,063±$301Highest 7% below ME |
$451±$130Lowest 60% below ME |
$907±$566 20% below ME |
| Starks and East Machias 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 |
$1,580 48% below ME |
$1,836Highest 40% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
20.5%±11 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±40.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| East Machias and Starks 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%Highest ME: 10.7% |
17.1% ME: 10.7% |
15.9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.1% ME: 74.3% |
83.7% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1956Lowest 21 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
33 minHighest 33% above ME |
24 min about the ME average |
18 minLowest 28% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
6.6%±4.1 ME: 15.9% |
4.1%±3.1 ME: 15.9% |
| Mapleton and Millinocket 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 | — | — | #98 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — | Millinocket Public Schools | East Machias Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Stearns Jr-Sr High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.6 |
— |
| 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.