Compare towns
Union vs Standish vs New Gloucester 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%).
Standish has the most homeowners (91.2%).
New Gloucester has the shortest commute (27 min average).
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 | Standish | New Gloucester | Appleton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,663 |
10,662Highest |
5,766 |
1,360Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.5% ME: +2.6% |
+3.7% ME: +2.6% |
+2.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.6±5.3 7% below ME |
40.5±2.8 10% below ME |
40.1±5.5Lowest 10% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
| Appleton and Union 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%±3.1 ME: 18.1% |
24.2%±5.8 ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Union and New Gloucester 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% |
15.2%±2.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
15.4%±4.2 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% |
36%Highest ME: 36.2% |
30.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
11.6%±1.7Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $80,724±$9k 8% above ME |
$104,593±$15k 40% above ME |
$108,797±$12kHighest 46% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
| New Gloucester and Standish 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 |
$336,000±$18k 13% above ME |
$357,100±$29kHighest 20% above ME |
$235,600±$33kLowest 21% below ME |
| New Gloucester and Standish 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 |
$983±$453Lowest 14% below ME |
$1,150±$249 about the ME average |
$1,104±$82 3% below ME |
| Union and New Gloucester 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 |
$3,005Lowest about the ME average |
$3,417 13% above ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 24.6%±19.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
57.4%±22.3 ME: 48.4% |
24.7%±12 ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Standish 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% |
7.3% ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.9% ME: 74.3% |
91.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1980 3 yrs newer than ME |
1991Highest 14 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 20% above ME |
29 min 20% above ME |
27 minLowest 9% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 15.9%±5.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
13.6%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
14.2%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Union and New Gloucester 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 | — | #18 of 133 in ME | #65 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 40/MSAD 40 | RSU 06/MSAD 06 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 | Appleton Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Bonny Eagle High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.