Compare towns
Waldo vs Mapleton vs Gray vs Brooks
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Waldo has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Mapleton has the most kids (22.2% under 18).
Gray has the most expensive homes ($364k median).
Brooks has the most renters (25.4% rent).
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 | Waldo | Mapleton | Gray | Brooks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 926Lowest |
1,884 |
8,429Highest |
1,208 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.3% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-6.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 37.5±9.6Lowest 16% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
45.9±6.6Highest about the ME average |
| Brooks and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 20.2%±4.5 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
19%±4 ME: 18.1% |
17.1%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Waldo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 12.2%±1.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Highest ME: 22.4% |
17%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Gray and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.4% ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
27.5%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.8%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $71,458±$21k 4% below ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$59,130±$10kLowest 21% 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 | $208,000±$41k 30% below ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$196,700±$33k 34% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$691 about the ME average |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$1,116±$112 about the ME average |
| Gray and Waldo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,623Lowest 47% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$2,096 31% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 74.1%±36.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24 ME: 48.4% |
18%±17.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Waldo and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 10.4% ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
19.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
74.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1986 9 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 20% below ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
29 minHighest 16% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 15.6%±4.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Waldo and Brooks 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 | Waldo-Region 7 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 03/MSAD 03 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | 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.