Compare towns
Strong vs Appleton vs Chapman
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Appleton has the most expensive homes ($236k median).
Chapman has the highest household income ($93k).
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 | Strong | Appleton | Chapman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,249 |
1,360Highest |
388Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 47.5±8.9 6% above ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
45.7±11.4Lowest about the ME average |
| Appleton and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.5%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
27.6%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Chapman and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22%±4.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
27.6%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Chapman and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26.5% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Chapman and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $47,557±$10kLowest 36% below ME |
$53,618±$19k 28% below ME |
$93,125±$17kHighest 25% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $183,900±$29kLowest 38% below ME |
$235,600±$33kHighest 21% below ME |
$185,700±$22k 37% below ME |
| Appleton and Chapman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $920±$276Lowest 19% below ME |
$1,104±$82Highest 3% below ME |
— |
| Appleton and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,950 36% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,850Lowest 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 20.9%±52.4 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6% ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 26% above ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
23 minLowest 6% below ME |
| Work from home | 18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | Appleton Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.