Compare towns
Mapleton vs Thorndike vs Waldo
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).
Thorndike has the most people working from home (44.7%).
Waldo has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.3%).
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 | Thorndike | Waldo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,884Highest |
1,403 |
926Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-13%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6Highest 7% below ME |
19.3±23.6Lowest 57% below ME |
37.5±9.6 16% below ME |
| Mapleton and Waldo 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% |
49.8%±28.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.2%±4.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Thorndike and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.3%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.7%±6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
12.2%±1.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3% ME: 36.2% |
25.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
36.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Waldo 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 |
$78,438±$14k 5% above ME |
$71,458±$21kLowest 4% below ME |
| Mapleton and Thorndike are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$205,600±$88k 31% below ME |
$208,000±$41kHighest 30% below ME |
| Waldo and Thorndike 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 |
$836±$317 27% below ME |
$1,150±$691Highest about the ME average |
| Waldo and Thorndike 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 |
$2,537Highest 16% below ME |
$1,623Lowest 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
36%±62.5 ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Waldo and Thorndike 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% |
6.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
36 minHighest 46% above ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
44.7%±35.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Thorndike 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 03/MSAD 03 | Waldo-Region 7 |
| High school in town | None in town | Mt View High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.7 |
— |
| 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.