Compare towns
Starks vs Bowdoin vs Mapleton vs New Vineyard
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Starks has the most affordable homes ($149k median).
Bowdoin has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.5%).
Mapleton has the shortest commute (28 min average).
New Vineyard has the most people working from home (16.7%).
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 | Starks | Bowdoin | Mapleton | New Vineyard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 556Lowest |
3,188Highest |
1,884 |
607 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-4.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.7±9.4 4% above ME |
44.3±10 about the ME average |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
47.5±9.5Highest 6% above ME |
| New Vineyard and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±4.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.1%±6.2 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
24.5%±6.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| New Vineyard and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 20.3%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
14.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
27%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21% ME: 36.2% |
30.4% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
20%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $63,500±$8k 15% below ME |
$91,239±$13k 22% above ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$61,806±$19kLowest 17% below ME |
| Mapleton and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $148,500±$27kLowest 50% below ME |
$292,800±$71kHighest about the ME average |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$190,000±$76k 36% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,063±$301Highest 7% below ME |
— | $610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$925±$490 19% below ME |
| Starks and New Vineyard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,348Lowest 56% below ME |
$3,375Highest 11% above ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$2,136 30% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
0%±42.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
66.7%±5.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| New Vineyard and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 19.2% ME: 10.7% |
11% ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
22.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90% ME: 74.3% |
84.7% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 33% above ME |
32 min 29% above ME |
28 minLowest 13% above ME |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
| Work from home | 3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.7%±7 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
16.7%±8.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| New Vineyard and Bowdoin 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 | — | #28 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | — | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | 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 | 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.