Compare towns
Mapleton vs Starks vs Waterville
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 affordable homes ($149k median).
Waterville has grown the fastest since 2010 (+0.7%).
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 | Waterville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,884 |
556Lowest |
17,077Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+0.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
46.7±9.4Highest 4% above ME |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
| Starks and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Starks 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%±2.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Starks 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 ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
30.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$63,500±$8k 15% below ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% 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 |
$184,600±$21k 38% below ME |
| Mapleton and Waterville 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 |
$978±$72 14% below ME |
| Starks and Waterville 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 |
$2,755Highest 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Waterville 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% ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
33 minHighest 33% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Waterville and Mapleton 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 | — | — | #105 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — | Waterville Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Waterville Senior High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.8 |
| 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.