Compare towns
Waldoboro vs Mapleton vs Bremen vs Jefferson
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Waldoboro has the most renters (21.4% rent).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Bremen has the most people working from home (22.7%).
Jefferson has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.1%).
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 | Waldoboro | Mapleton | Bremen | Jefferson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 5,253Highest |
1,884 |
917Lowest |
2,647 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.6% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.1% ME: +2.6% |
+5.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 50.1±4.6 12% above ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
52.1±8.2Highest 16% above ME |
38.1±4.9Lowest 15% below ME |
| Bremen and Waldoboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±4.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
18.6%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
28%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Jefferson and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 22.6%±5.1 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
34.1%±9.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±3.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Bremen and Waldoboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 29.9% ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
54.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
27.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.3%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
4.6%±2.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,107±$8kLowest 8% below ME |
$91,731±$25k 23% above ME |
$100,000±$21kHighest 34% above ME |
$85,078±$17k 14% above ME |
| Bremen and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $274,900±$39k 7% below ME |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$425,300±$28kHighest 43% above ME |
$311,600±$35k 5% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $348±$153Lowest 69% below ME |
$610±$277 46% below ME |
— | $1,120±$130Highest about the ME average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,861Highest 6% below ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,829 7% below ME |
$2,587 15% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 20%±15.8 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
29.8%±25.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Jefferson and Waldoboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 9.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9% ME: 10.7% |
9.4% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
93.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
83.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min 3% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
22 minLowest 13% below ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 6.6%±4.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
22.7%±6.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.9%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #55 of 133 in ME | — | — | #45 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 40/MSAD 40 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | — | Jefferson Public Schools |
| High school in town | Medomak Valley High School | None in town | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.5 |
— | — | — |
| 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.