Compare towns
Starks vs Unity 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).
Unity has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
New Vineyard has the most kids (24.5% under 18).
Unity is a college town. 30% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Unity | Mapleton | New Vineyard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 556Lowest |
1,858 |
1,884Highest |
607 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-4.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.7±9.4 4% above ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
41.8±6 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%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest 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% |
11.8%±3Lowest 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% |
22.1% 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% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $63,500±$8k 15% below ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$61,806±$19kLowest 17% below ME |
| Mapleton and Starks 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 |
$206,900±$28kHighest 30% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$190,000±$76k 36% below ME |
| Unity and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,063±$301Highest 7% below ME |
$873±$73 23% 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 |
$2,510Highest 17% below 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% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest 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% |
17.3% ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
22.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
90.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 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 |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
| Work from home | 3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
16.7%±8.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| New Vineyard and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — |
| High school in town | — | Ecology Learning Ctr | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.4 |
— | — |
| 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.