Compare towns
Perham vs Appleton vs Burlington vs Springfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Perham has the shortest commute (25 min average).
Appleton has the most expensive homes ($236k median).
Burlington has the most kids (24.1% under 18).
Springfield has the most homeowners (96.2%).
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 | Perham | Appleton | Burlington | Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 326 |
1,360Highest |
328 |
310Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +7.2% ME: +2.6% |
— | — |
| Median age | 53±12.9Highest 18% above ME |
49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME |
52.5±22.8 17% above ME |
52.4±7 17% above ME |
| Perham and Burlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.6%±8.5 ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.1%±9.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Burlington and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 24.5%±2.3 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.7%±7.2 ME: 22.4% |
21.6%±5.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Burlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 18.7% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
10.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
17.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.2%±3.8 ME: 5.8% |
0.6%±3.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Appleton and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $62,500±$22kHighest 16% below ME |
$53,618±$19k 28% below ME |
$48,750±$14kLowest 35% below ME |
$60,833±$23k 19% below ME |
| Perham and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $117,600±$9k 60% below ME |
$235,600±$33kHighest 21% below ME |
$99,700±$21kLowest 66% below ME |
$122,500±$28k 59% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,104±$82 3% below ME |
— | — |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,641 46% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$582Lowest 81% below ME |
$1,067 65% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
— | — |
| Appleton and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 2.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
19.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.5% ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.2% ME: 74.3% |
96.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
30 min 23% above ME |
39 minHighest 60% above ME |
30 min 21% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.4%±7.2 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
5.1%±6.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
9.6%±5.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Appleton and Springfield 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 | 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.