Compare towns
Appleton vs Liberty vs Madison
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
Liberty has the most kids (19.4% under 18).
Madison has the most people working from home (19.3%).
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 | Appleton | Liberty | Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,360 |
969Lowest |
4,782Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.3% ME: +2.6% |
-2.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
40.5±6.8Lowest 10% below ME |
49.6±3.4Highest 11% above ME |
| Madison and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
19.4%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.9%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Liberty and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.1%±9.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.8%±2.8Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5.8 ME: 22.4% |
| Appleton and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.1% ME: 36.2% |
43.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
0.4%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Madison and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$71,146±$15kHighest 5% below ME |
$61,747±$11k 17% below ME |
| Liberty and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $235,600±$33kHighest 21% below ME |
$229,600±$31k 23% below ME |
$187,600±$40kLowest 37% below ME |
| Appleton and Liberty 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 |
$559±$193Lowest 51% below ME |
$906±$247 20% below ME |
| Appleton and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$2,434 20% below ME |
$1,983Lowest 35% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
38.5%±42.4 ME: 48.4% |
30.9%±11.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Liberty are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.7%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
14.8% ME: 10.7% |
15%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.6% ME: 74.3% |
84.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
54.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
1964Lowest 13 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 23% above ME |
38 minHighest 56% above ME |
27 minLowest 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.1%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
14.4%±8.8 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±10.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Madison and Liberty are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Appleton Public Schools | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 59/MSAD 59 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Madison Jr/Sr High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.0 |
| 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.