Compare towns
Perham vs Appleton vs Burlington vs Weston
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 highest household income ($63k).
Appleton has the most expensive homes ($236k median).
Burlington has the most kids (24.1% under 18).
Weston has the shortest commute (18 min average).
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 | Weston |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 326 |
1,360Highest |
328 |
275Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +7.2% ME: +2.6% |
— | — |
| Median age | 53±12.9 18% above ME |
49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME |
52.5±22.8 17% above ME |
55.1±14Highest 23% above ME |
| Weston and Perham 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%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
24.1%±9.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.9%±7.2Lowest 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% |
21.8%±4.3Lowest 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% |
23.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.2%±3.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±4.5 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 |
$58,942±$7k 21% below ME |
| Perham and Weston 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 |
$171,700±$26k 42% 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 |
$1,500 51% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100 ME: 48.4% |
— | 100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Weston and Appleton 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% ME: 10.7% |
19.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.5% ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
93.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
93.1% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
30 min 23% above ME |
39 minHighest 60% above ME |
18 minLowest 28% below 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% |
11.1%±12.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| 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.