Compare towns
Union vs Calais vs Mapleton vs Appleton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Union has the most people working from home (15.9%).
Calais has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
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 | Union | Calais | Mapleton | Appleton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,663 |
3,097Highest |
1,884 |
1,360Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.5% ME: +2.6% |
-1.4% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.6±5.3Lowest 7% below ME |
43.8±5.1 about the ME average |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
| Appleton and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 24.9%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Union and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 21.4%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
24.1%±5.3 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Calais and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $80,724±$9k 8% above ME |
$64,096±$10k 14% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
| Mapleton and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $267,600±$42kHighest 10% below ME |
$111,100±$36kLowest 63% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
| Union and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,179±$452Highest 4% above ME |
$1,010±$199 11% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
| Union and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,276 8% above ME |
$1,684Lowest 45% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 24.6%±19.8 ME: 48.4% |
53.7%±20.6 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Calais 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% |
21.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
73.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 20% above ME |
16 minLowest 35% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 15.9%±5.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Union 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 | — | #48 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 40/MSAD 40 | Calais Public Schools | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Appleton Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Calais Middle/High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.0 |
— | — |
| 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.