Compare towns
Wayne vs Appleton vs Castle Hill
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Appleton has the youngest population (median age 49.2).
Castle Hill has the most affordable homes ($145k 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 | Wayne | Appleton | Castle Hill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,101 |
1,360Highest |
281Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 55.6±5.3 24% above ME |
49.2±7.4Lowest 10% above ME |
57.8±15.8Highest 29% above ME |
| Castle Hill and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±5.8 ME: 18.1% |
| Appleton and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.2%±3.8 ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
44.8%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
26.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±5.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Wayne and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $93,194±$26kHighest 25% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$54,250±$14k 27% below ME |
| Wayne and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $362,800±$29kHighest 22% above ME |
$235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$145,300±$18kLowest 51% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $983±$554 14% below ME |
$1,104±$82Highest 3% below ME |
$950±$574Lowest 17% below ME |
| Appleton and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,289 8% above ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,449Lowest 52% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
75%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.9% ME: 10.7% |
9.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.9% ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 24% above ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
| Work from home | 26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±9.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Wayne and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 38 | Appleton Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.