Compare towns
Mapleton vs Unity vs Etna 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 oldest housing (typical home built 1977).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
Etna has the most affordable homes ($183k median).
Chapman has the most kids (27.6% under 18).
Unity is a college town. 30% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Unity | Etna | Chapman |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884Highest |
1,858 |
1,252 |
388Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.6% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
41.9±3.4 6% below ME |
45.7±11.4Highest about the ME average |
| Chapman and Etna 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% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20%±6.7 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% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±1.1 ME: 22.4% |
27.6%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
13.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
22.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.6%±0.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$62,857±$6kLowest 16% below ME |
$72,379±$16k 3% 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 |
$206,900±$28kHighest 30% below ME |
$183,000±$49kLowest 38% below ME |
$185,700±$22k 37% below ME |
| Unity 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 |
$873±$73Highest 23% below ME |
— | — |
| Unity and Mapleton 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 |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$1,745Lowest 43% below ME |
$1,850 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
66.7%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Etna and Unity 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% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
15.5% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
94.5% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1993Highest 16 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 13% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
28 min 12% above ME |
23 min 6% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
5.6%±3.3 ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Mapleton 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 · Ecology Learning Center | — | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Ecology Learning Ctr | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.4 |
— | — |
| 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.