Compare towns
Mapleton vs Wales vs Appleton 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).
Wales has the most people working from home (22.2%).
Appleton has the oldest population (median age 49.2).
Chapman has the shortest commute (23 min average).
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 | Wales | Appleton | Chapman |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884 |
1,924Highest |
1,360 |
388Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-0.5% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
35.1±4.2Lowest 22% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
45.7±11.4 about the ME average |
| Appleton 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% |
30.2%±6Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
27.6%±5.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Wales and Chapman 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%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
27.6%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Chapman and Appleton 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% |
15.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
22.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±3.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Wales 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 |
$77,004±$5k 3% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% 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 |
$250,400±$28kHighest 16% below ME |
$235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$185,700±$22kLowest 37% below ME |
| Wales and Appleton 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 |
$1,154±$64Highest about the ME average |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
— |
| Wales and Appleton 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 |
$2,578 15% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,850 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
83.3%±37.5 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Wales 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% |
25.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
91.4% ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest same as ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
28 min 14% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
23 minLowest 6% below ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
22.2%±13.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Wales and Appleton 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 04 | Appleton Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Oak Hill High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.9 |
— | — |
| 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.