Compare towns
Mercer vs Appleton vs Starks
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mercer has the most people working from home (20.5%).
Appleton has the most renters (17.4% rent).
Starks has the most affordable homes ($149k 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 | Mercer | Appleton | Starks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 718 |
1,360Highest |
556Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
46.7±9.4 4% above ME |
| Appleton and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.1%±6.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
| Mercer and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.9%±5.6 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
20.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Mercer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.9%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
| Appleton and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,107±$2kHighest 5% below ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$63,500±$8k 15% below ME |
| Mercer and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $238,500±$32kHighest 20% below ME |
$235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$148,500±$27kLowest 50% below ME |
| Mercer and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$249Highest 25% above ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,063±$301Lowest 7% below ME |
| Mercer and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,970 35% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,348Lowest 56% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18.5%±74Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.6% ME: 10.7% |
9.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987Lowest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 23% above ME |
30 minLowest 23% above ME |
33 minHighest 33% above ME |
| Work from home | 20.5%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mercer and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Appleton Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — |
| 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.