Compare towns
Orient vs Hope vs Mapleton vs Meddybemps
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Orient has the most people working from home (81%).
Hope has the most kids (23.3% under 18).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Meddybemps has the oldest population (median age 63.9).
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 | Orient | Hope | Mapleton | Meddybemps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 137Lowest |
1,748 |
1,884Highest |
139 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +10.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 62±9 38% above ME |
44.6±3.1 about the ME average |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
63.9±4.2Highest 43% above ME |
| Meddybemps and Orient are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.8%±18.9 ME: 18.1% |
23.3%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
5%±21.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Hope and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 46%±10.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.1%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
39.6%±15.4 ME: 22.4% |
| Orient and Meddybemps are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25% ME: 36.2% |
47.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
14.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0%±11.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.3 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±10.1Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | — | $86,766±$6k 16% above ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$48,000±$13kLowest 36% below ME |
| Mapleton and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $548,600±$183kHighest 85% above ME |
$373,400±$33k 26% above ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$295,000±$73k about the ME average |
| Orient and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,219±$182Highest 7% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | — | $3,842Highest 27% above ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,206Lowest 60% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
37.8%±38.7 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 35.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
7.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
92.9% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.1% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | — | 20 minLowest 19% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
31 minHighest 28% above ME |
| Work from home | 81%±44Highest ME: 15.9% |
18.3%±10.2 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
5.4%±7.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | Hope Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town | — |
| 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.