Compare towns
Madison vs Perham vs Paris
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Madison has the most renters (45.4% rent).
Perham has the most homeowners (92.5%).
Paris has the most expensive homes ($240k 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 | Madison | Perham | Paris |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,782 |
326Lowest |
5,317Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.7%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— | -0.1%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 49.6±3.4 11% above ME |
53±12.9Highest 18% above ME |
48.2±5.6Lowest 8% above ME |
| Perham and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.9%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.6%±8.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.8%±5.9 ME: 18.1% |
| Perham and Paris are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.1%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±2.3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.6%±5.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Madison and Paris are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21.4% ME: 36.2% |
18.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
28.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±3.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Paris and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $61,747±$11kLowest 17% below ME |
$62,500±$22k 16% below ME |
$75,137±$20kHighest about the ME average |
| Paris and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $187,600±$40k 37% below ME |
$117,600±$9kLowest 60% below ME |
$240,400±$57kHighest 19% below ME |
| Paris and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $906±$247 20% below ME |
— | — |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,983 35% below ME |
$1,641Lowest 46% below ME |
$2,649Highest 13% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.9%±11.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
62.3%±13.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Paris and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 15%Highest ME: 10.7% |
2.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
12.5% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 54.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
60.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1964Lowest 13 yrs older than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
1981Highest 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest 9% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
22 minLowest 9% below ME |
| Work from home | 19.3%±10.7 ME: 15.9% |
8.4%±7.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.4%±10.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Paris and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | #114 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 59/MSAD 59 | — | RSU 17/MSAD 17 |
| High school in town | Madison Jr/Sr High School | — | None in town |
| 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.