Compare towns
Weld vs Appleton vs Northfield vs Carthage
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Weld has the most people working from home (15.6%).
Appleton has the most renters (17.4% rent).
Northfield has the shortest commute (24 min average).
Carthage has the most affordable homes ($144k 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 | Weld | Appleton | Northfield | Carthage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 459 |
1,360Highest |
263Lowest |
845 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— | -9.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 64±6.7Highest 43% above ME |
49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
62.1±16.2 39% above ME |
42.8±10.9Lowest 4% below ME |
| Weld and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.9%±4.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
11.4%±7.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
13.1%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Weld and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 44.4%±12.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
39.2%±9.2 ME: 22.4% |
10.7%±0.9Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Weld and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
40.4% ME: 36.2% |
13.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.7%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±4.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2%±1.2 ME: 5.8% |
| Appleton and Carthage are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $62,083±$11k 17% below ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$68,333±$52k 9% below ME |
$79,107±$18kHighest 6% above ME |
| Carthage and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $268,600±$17kHighest 9% below ME |
$235,600±$33k 21% below ME |
$198,600±$64k 33% below ME |
$144,300±$41kLowest 51% below ME |
| Weld and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,104±$82Highest 3% below ME |
— | $811±$262Lowest 29% below ME |
| Appleton and Carthage are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,308 57% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,773 42% below ME |
$1,239Lowest 59% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
— | 0%±88Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Weld are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.5% ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
20.5%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.9% ME: 74.3% |
88.1% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1975 2 yrs older than ME |
1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 21% above ME |
30 minHighest 23% above ME |
24 minLowest about the ME average |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 15.6%±8.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
3.2%±2.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10%±7.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Weld and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | Appleton Public Schools | — | — |
| High school 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.