Compare towns
Roxbury vs Appleton vs Weld vs Rumford
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Roxbury has the most affordable homes ($106k median).
Appleton has the youngest population (median age 49.2).
Weld has the most people working from home (15.6%).
Rumford has the shortest commute (21 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 | Roxbury | Appleton | Weld | Rumford |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 352Lowest |
1,360 |
459 |
5,942Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— | +0.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 59.8±3.4 33% above ME |
49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME |
64±6.7Highest 43% above ME |
50.4±3.4 13% above ME |
| Weld and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 6%±6.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
17.9%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±4.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Rumford and Weld are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.6%±10.8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
44.4%±12.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
27.2%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
42.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
18.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.6%±3.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.7%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $51,667±$34k 31% below ME |
$53,618±$19k 28% below ME |
$62,083±$11kHighest 17% below ME |
$38,403±$6kLowest 49% below ME |
| Weld and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $105,800±$48kLowest 64% below ME |
$235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$268,600±$17kHighest 9% below ME |
$127,700±$21k 57% below ME |
| Weld and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,104±$82Highest 3% below ME |
— | $803±$81Lowest 29% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $850Lowest 72% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,308 57% below ME |
$1,988 35% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | — | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
59.1%±11.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Rumford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 13.4% ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
6.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
22.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
93.7% ME: 74.3% |
63.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969 8 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1951 26 yrs older than ME |
1947Lowest 30 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 16% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
30 min 21% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 5.2%±5.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±8.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.6%±5.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Weld and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | — | #126 of 133 in ME |
| School district | — | Appleton Public Schools | — | RSU 10 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — | Mountain Valley High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | — | 11.4 |
| 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.