Compare towns
Liberty vs Madison vs Mapleton vs Waldo
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Liberty has the most expensive homes ($230k median).
Madison has the most renters (45.4% rent).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Waldo has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.3%).
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 | Liberty | Madison | Mapleton | Waldo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 969 |
4,782Highest |
1,884 |
926Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.3% ME: +2.6% |
-2.7% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+4.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.5±6.8 10% below ME |
49.6±3.4Highest 11% above ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
37.5±9.6Lowest 16% below ME |
| Madison and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.4%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
14.9%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.2%±4.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton and Waldo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 21.8%±2.8 ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
12.2%±1.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Madison and Liberty are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.3% ME: 36.2% |
36.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.4%±1.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $71,146±$15k 5% below ME |
$61,747±$11kLowest 17% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$71,458±$21k 4% below ME |
| Mapleton and Waldo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $229,600±$31kHighest 23% below ME |
$187,600±$40kLowest 37% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$208,000±$41k 30% below ME |
| Liberty and Waldo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $559±$193Lowest 51% below ME |
$906±$247 20% below ME |
$610±$277 46% below ME |
$1,150±$691Highest about the ME average |
| Waldo and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,434Highest 20% below ME |
$1,983 35% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,623Lowest 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.5%±42.4 ME: 48.4% |
30.9%±11.7 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
74.1%±36.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Waldo and Liberty are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 14.8% ME: 10.7% |
15%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.4% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.1% ME: 74.3% |
54.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
84.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
1964Lowest 13 yrs older than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 38 minHighest 56% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.4%±8.8 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±10.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.6%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Madison and Waldo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 59/MSAD 59 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Waldo-Region 7 |
| High school in town | None in town | Madison Jr/Sr High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.0 |
— | — |
| 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.