Compare towns
Patten vs Appleton vs Mapleton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Patten has the most people working from home (28.7%).
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
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 | Patten | Appleton | Mapleton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,154Lowest |
1,360 |
1,884Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -13.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 57.8±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
| Patten and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 11.3%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 38.5%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Patten and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.1%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest 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 | $51,484±$6kLowest 31% below ME |
$53,618±$19k 28% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
| Mapleton and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $127,600±$49kLowest 57% below ME |
$235,600±$33kHighest 21% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
| Appleton and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $389±$99Lowest 66% below ME |
$1,104±$82Highest 3% below ME |
$610±$277 46% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,199Lowest 61% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56%±64.1 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 23.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.5% ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 11 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 13% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
28 minLowest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 28.7%±19.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Patten 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 | 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 |
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.