Compare towns
Mapleton vs Waterville vs Chapman vs Union
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Waterville has the most renters (51.2% rent).
Chapman has the most kids (27.6% under 18).
Union has the most expensive homes ($268k median).
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 | Waterville | Chapman | Union |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884 |
17,077Highest |
388Lowest |
2,663 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+0.7% ME: +2.6% |
— | +5.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% below ME |
35.5±2.5Lowest 21% below ME |
45.7±11.4Highest about the ME average |
41.6±5.3 7% below ME |
| Chapman and Mapleton 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% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
27.6%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
24.9%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Chapman and Union 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% |
18.3%±2.5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
27.6%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Chapman and Union 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% |
30.8% ME: 36.2% |
22.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
$93,125±$17kHighest 25% above ME |
$80,724±$9k 8% 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 |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
$185,700±$22k 37% below ME |
$267,600±$42kHighest 10% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$978±$72 14% below ME |
— | $1,179±$452Highest 4% above ME |
| Union and Waterville 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 |
$2,755 9% below ME |
$1,850 39% below ME |
$3,276Highest 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Waterville and Union 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% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
23 min 6% below ME |
29 minHighest 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Waterville and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #105 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Waterville Public Schools | — | RSU 40/MSAD 40 |
| High school in town | None in town | Waterville Senior High School | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8 |
— | — |
| 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.