Compare towns
Temple vs Mapleton vs Appleton vs Sherman
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Temple has the most homeowners (92.7%).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
Sherman has the most people working from home (28.2%).
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 | Temple | Mapleton | Appleton | Sherman |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 824Lowest |
1,884Highest |
1,360 |
947 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.2% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 34±14 24% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
33.4±8.6Lowest 25% below ME |
| Appleton and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 32.8%±7.2 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
33.4%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Sherman and Temple are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 15%±6.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.2%±5.8 ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Sherman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 13.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
13.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
0.3%±0.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $56,087±$2k 25% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$53,618±$19k 28% below ME |
$49,444±$7kLowest 34% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,200±$79k 29% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$235,600±$33kHighest 21% below ME |
$115,200±$14kLowest 61% below ME |
| Appleton and Temple are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,458±$565Highest 28% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
$672±$329 41% below ME |
| Temple and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,367 22% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,328Lowest 56% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 73.3%±70.5 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
46.7%±77.5 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Temple are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 10.2% ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
37.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
88.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 11 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 34 minHighest 37% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
22 minLowest 11% below ME |
| Work from home | 7.5%±8.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
28.2%±12.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | 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 | 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.