Compare towns
Mapleton vs Strong vs Gray vs Chapman
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 youngest population (median age 41.8).
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Chapman has the most kids (27.6% under 18).
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 | Strong | Gray | Chapman |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884 |
1,249 |
8,429Highest |
388Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
45.7±11.4 about the ME average |
| Strong and Chapman 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% |
19.5%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
27.6%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Chapman 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% |
22%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
27.6%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Chapman and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3% ME: 36.2% |
26.5% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Chapman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$47,557±$10kLowest 36% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$93,125±$17k 25% above ME |
| Gray and Chapman 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 |
$183,900±$29kLowest 38% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$185,700±$22k 37% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$920±$276 19% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$1,950 36% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,850 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray and Strong 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% |
13.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
6.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
23 minLowest 6% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Gray 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 | — | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.5 |
— |
| 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.