Compare towns
Wade vs Mapleton vs Penobscot vs Perham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wade has the most renters (21.7% rent).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Penobscot has the most people working from home (17.7%).
Perham has the most affordable homes ($118k median).
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 | Wade | Mapleton | Penobscot | Perham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 244Lowest |
1,884Highest |
1,154 |
326 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -3.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-10.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 53.6±18.5Highest 20% above ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
53.4±5.7 19% above ME |
53±12.9 18% above ME |
| Wade and Penobscot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±6.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
18%±6 ME: 18.1% |
19.6%±8.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 34.8%±10.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
32%±4.5 ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±2.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Wade and Penobscot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.2% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
32.4% ME: 36.2% |
18.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.4%±4.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
1%±0.9 ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $41,818±$25kLowest 44% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$63,194±$14k 15% below ME |
$62,500±$22k 16% below ME |
| Mapleton and Penobscot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $157,100±$109k 47% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$296,400±$58kHighest about the ME average |
$117,600±$9kLowest 60% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,141±$33Highest about the ME average |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,655 45% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,852Highest 39% below ME |
$1,641Lowest 46% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
73.9%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Penobscot and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4.2% ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
16%Highest ME: 10.7% |
2.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.2% ME: 74.3% |
92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1979Highest 2 yrs newer than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 34 minHighest 37% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
25 minLowest about the ME average |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 10.1%±6.8 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
17.7%±13.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.4%±7.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Penobscot and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Penobscot 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.