Compare towns
Mapleton vs West Paris vs Brooks
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).
West Paris has the most people working from home (23.8%).
Brooks has the shortest commute (25 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 | West Paris | Brooks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,884Highest |
1,808 |
1,208Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-2.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
46±7.9Highest about the ME average |
45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
| West Paris and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.3%±3.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Brooks 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% |
25.2%±4.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| West Paris and Mapleton 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% |
23.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
27.5% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
2.4%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks 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±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$56,324±$5kLowest 25% below ME |
$59,130±$10k 21% below ME |
| Mapleton and Brooks 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 |
$193,000±$20k 35% below ME |
$196,700±$33kHighest 34% below ME |
| Brooks and West Paris 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 |
$838±$333 26% below ME |
$1,116±$112Highest about the ME average |
| Brooks and West Paris 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 |
$2,083 31% below ME |
$2,096Highest 31% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
61.5%±34.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
18%±17.3 ME: 48.4% |
| West Paris and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
24.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
19.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% ME: 74.3% |
80.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 same as ME |
1973Lowest 4 yrs older than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
32 minHighest 32% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
23.8%±18.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
| West Paris and Brooks 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 17/MSAD 17 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 |
| 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 |
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.