Compare towns
Union vs Gray 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%).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Appleton has the oldest population (median age 49.2).
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 | Gray | Mapleton | Appleton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,663 |
8,429Highest |
1,884 |
1,360Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.5% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.6±5.3Lowest 7% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
| Appleton and Gray 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% |
19%±4 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% |
19.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.4% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray 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 |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
| Gray and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $267,600±$42k 10% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,179±$452 4% above ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
| Gray and Union 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 |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$3,588 18% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 24.6%±19.8 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 10.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 20% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
28 minLowest 13% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 15.9%±5.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Union and Gray 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 40/MSAD 40 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Appleton Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— | — |
| 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.