Compare towns
Owls Head vs Appleton vs Phippsburg
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Owls Head has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
Phippsburg has the highest household income ($108k).
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 | Owls Head | Appleton | Phippsburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,482 |
1,360Lowest |
2,238Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -4.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 52.6±6.6 17% above ME |
49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME |
54.3±6.3Highest 21% above ME |
| Phippsburg and Owls Head are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.6%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.5%±3.1Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Appleton and Owls Head are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 31.9%±4.4 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
34.4%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Phippsburg and Owls Head are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
37.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.6%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Appleton and Owls Head are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $87,325±$7k 17% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$107,833±$19kHighest 44% above ME |
| Phippsburg and Owls Head are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $413,300±$43kHighest 39% above ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
$335,800±$47k 13% above ME |
| Owls Head and Phippsburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,191±$386Highest 5% above ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$1,022±$346Lowest 10% below ME |
| Owls Head and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,981 about the ME average |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$2,034Lowest 33% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 29.9%±51.6Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
35.5%±98.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Phippsburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
7.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
81.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 16 minLowest 34% below ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
21 min 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 13.3%±4.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
| Owls Head and Phippsburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 13 | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 01 - LKRSU |
| High school in town | None in town | None 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.