Compare towns
Perham vs Madison vs Springfield vs Wade
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Perham has the most kids (19.6% under 18).
Madison has the most people working from home (19.3%).
Springfield has the most homeowners (96.2%).
Wade has the oldest population (median age 53.6).
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 | Perham | Madison | Springfield | Wade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 326 |
4,782Highest |
310 |
244Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -2.7% ME: +2.6% |
— | — |
| Median age | 53±12.9 18% above ME |
49.6±3.4Lowest 11% above ME |
52.4±7 17% above ME |
53.6±18.5Highest 20% above ME |
| Wade and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.6%±8.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.9%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
18.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±6.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Perham and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 24.5%±2.3 ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5.8 ME: 22.4% |
21.6%±5.4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
34.8%±10.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wade and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 18.7% ME: 36.2% |
21.4% ME: 36.2% |
17.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
33.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.6%±3.7 ME: 5.8% |
0.4%±4.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Madison and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $62,500±$22kHighest 16% below ME |
$61,747±$11k 17% below ME |
$60,833±$23k 19% below ME |
$41,818±$25kLowest 44% below ME |
| Perham and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $117,600±$9kLowest 60% below ME |
$187,600±$40kHighest 37% below ME |
$122,500±$28k 59% below ME |
$157,100±$109k 47% below ME |
| Madison and Wade 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 | $1,641 46% below ME |
$1,983Highest 35% below ME |
$1,067Lowest 65% below ME |
$1,655 45% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
30.9%±11.7 ME: 48.4% |
— | 0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Perham and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 2.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
15%Highest ME: 10.7% |
5.5% ME: 10.7% |
4.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.5% ME: 74.3% |
54.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
96.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
78.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 1 yr older than ME |
1964 13 yrs older than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the ME average |
27 min 9% above ME |
30 min 21% above ME |
34 minHighest 37% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.4%±7.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±10.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.6%±5.2 ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±6.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Madison and Wade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 59/MSAD 59 | — | — |
| High school 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 | 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.