Compare towns
Mapleton vs Strong vs Waldo 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%).
Waldo has the shortest commute (20 min average).
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 | Waldo | Chapman |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884Highest |
1,249 |
926 |
388Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
37.5±9.6Lowest 16% 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%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.2%±4.5 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%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest 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% |
36.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Chapman and Mapleton 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 |
$71,458±$21k 4% below 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 |
$208,000±$41kHighest 30% below ME |
$185,700±$22k 37% below ME |
| Waldo 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 |
$1,150±$691Highest about the ME average |
— |
| Waldo and Strong 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 |
$1,950Highest 36% below ME |
$1,623Lowest 47% 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% |
74.1%±36.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Waldo 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% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 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 |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
23 min 6% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Waldo 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 | Waldo-Region 7 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.