Compare towns
Wesley vs Appleton vs Northfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wesley has the most affordable homes ($69k median).
Appleton has the most people working from home (11.1%).
Northfield has the oldest population (median age 62.1).
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 | Wesley | Appleton | Northfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 320 |
1,360Highest |
263Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +7.2% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 37.3±3.1Lowest 17% below ME |
49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
62.1±16.2Highest 39% above ME |
| Northfield and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±6.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
11.4%±7.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Wesley and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.6%±5.8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
39.2%±9.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Northfield and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
40.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.2%±4 ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±4.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Appleton and Wesley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $63,125±$34k 16% below ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$68,333±$52kHighest 9% below ME |
| Northfield and Wesley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $68,800±$21kLowest 77% below ME |
$235,600±$33kHighest 21% below ME |
$198,600±$64k 33% below ME |
| Appleton and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,104±$82 3% below ME |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $558Lowest 82% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,773 42% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 27.3%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
— |
| Appleton and Wesley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 34.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
20.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
88.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1993Highest 16 yrs newer than ME |
1988 11 yrs newer than ME |
1975Lowest 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 48 minHighest 96% above ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
24 minLowest about the ME average |
| Work from home | 1.9%±3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5Highest ME: 15.9% |
3.2%±2.6 ME: 15.9% |
| 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 |
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.