Compare towns
Orient vs Mapleton vs Appleton vs Weston
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%).
Mapleton has the most kids (22.2% under 18).
Weston has the most affordable homes ($172k 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 | Orient | Mapleton | Appleton | Weston |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 137Lowest |
1,884Highest |
1,360 |
275 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 62±9Highest 38% above ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
55.1±14 23% above ME |
| Orient and Weston 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% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
14.9%±7.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Orient 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% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
21.8%±4.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
23.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0%±11.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±4.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Appleton 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 |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$58,942±$7k 21% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $548,600±$183kHighest 85% above ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$171,700±$26kLowest 42% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,104±$82Highest 3% below ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | — | $1,789 41% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,500Lowest 51% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100 ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Below poverty line | 35.8%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
19.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
93.1% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | — | 28 min 13% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
18 minLowest 28% below ME |
| Work from home | 81%±44Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±12.7 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Appleton Public Schools | — |
| 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.