Compare towns
Mapleton vs Strong vs Monroe 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 most renters (20.1% rent).
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Monroe has the most expensive homes ($220k 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 | Monroe | Chapman |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884Highest |
1,249 |
1,001 |
388Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
43.5±7 about the ME average |
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%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.7%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
27.6%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Chapman and Monroe 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% |
22.6%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
27.6%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Chapman and Monroe 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% |
26.5% ME: 36.2% |
29.1% 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% |
5.3%±4.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Monroe 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 |
$81,300±$7k 9% above ME |
$93,125±$17kHighest 25% above ME |
| Chapman and Mapleton 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 |
$220,300±$57kHighest 26% below ME |
$185,700±$22k 37% below ME |
| Monroe and Mapleton 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 |
$920±$276 19% below ME |
$1,165±$152Highest about the ME average |
— |
| Monroe and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$1,950 36% below ME |
$2,207Highest 27% below 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% |
50.9%±47.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Monroe 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% |
11.3% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
87.4% ME: 74.3% |
94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
31 min 26% above ME |
32 minHighest 28% above ME |
23 minLowest 6% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.8%±4.4 ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Monroe 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 58/MSAD 58 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| 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.