Compare towns
Van Buren vs Chapman
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Van Buren has the most people working from home (8.3%).
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 | Van Buren | Chapman |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 1,858Highest |
388Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.1% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 56±3.2Highest 25% above ME |
45.7±11.4Lowest about the ME average |
| Van Buren and Chapman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±4.4Lowest ME: 18.1% |
27.6%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 35.3%±7.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
27.6%±3.8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Van Buren and Chapman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 10.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
22.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Chapman and Van Buren are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $40,170±$4kLowest 46% below ME |
$93,125±$17kHighest 25% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $97,700±$24kLowest 67% below ME |
$185,700±$22kHighest 37% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $733±$141 36% below ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,415Lowest 53% below ME |
$1,850Highest 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.7%±11Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Van Buren and Chapman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 23%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 15 minLowest 40% below ME |
23 minHighest 6% below ME |
| Work from home | 8.3%±5Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Van Buren and Chapman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Schools | ||
| School district | RSU 88/MSAD 24 | — |
| High school in town | Van Buren District Secondary Sch | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 7.3 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.