Compare towns
Madison vs Windsor vs Houlton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Madison has the most people working from home (19.3%).
Windsor has grown the fastest since 2010 (+0.2%).
Houlton has the shortest commute (10 min average).
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 | Windsor | Houlton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,782 |
3,554Lowest |
6,056Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+0.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-1.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.6±3.4Highest 28% above U.S. |
44.8±6.5Lowest 15% above U.S. |
45.4±2.8 17% above U.S. |
| Madison and Houlton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.9%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.5%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
18%±4 U.S.: 22% |
| Windsor and Houlton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.1%±5.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
29.7%±6.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Windsor and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
39.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
24.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±2.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.7%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Madison and Houlton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $61,747±$11kHighest 24% below U.S. |
$52,484±$11kLowest 35% below U.S. |
$61,058±$14k 24% below U.S. |
| Madison and Houlton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $187,600±$40k 44% below U.S. |
$207,500±$31kHighest 38% below U.S. |
$137,000±$31kLowest 59% below U.S. |
| Windsor and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $906±$247 36% below U.S. |
$1,026±$89Highest 27% below U.S. |
$785±$66Lowest 44% below U.S. |
| Windsor and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,983 36% below U.S. |
$5,209Highest 67% above U.S. |
$1,707Lowest 45% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.9%±11.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
31.5%±17 U.S.: 51.1% |
54.7%±12.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Houlton and Windsor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 15% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
18.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 54.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
57.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
63.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1964Highest 16 yrs older than U.S. |
1945Lowest 35 yrs older than U.S. |
1957 23 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
23 min 14% below U.S. |
10 minLowest 61% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.3%±10.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.3%±5 U.S.: 15.1% |
6%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Madison and Windsor 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 | — | #61 of 70 in VT | #50 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 59/MSAD 59 | — | RSU 29/MSAD 29 · Houlton-Region 2 |
| High school in town | Madison Jr/Sr High School | — | Houlton High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.0Lowest |
— | 16.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 6 photos → | 12 photos → | None yet |
U.S. 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.