Compare towns
Solon vs Appleton vs Castle Hill vs Madison
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Solon has the most kids (17.2% under 18).
Appleton has the most expensive homes ($236k median).
Castle Hill has the shortest commute (19 min average).
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 | Solon | Appleton | Castle Hill | Madison |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 963 |
1,360 |
281Lowest |
4,782Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— | -2.7% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±5.4Lowest about the ME average |
49.2±7.4 10% above ME |
57.8±15.8Highest 29% above ME |
49.6±3.4 11% above ME |
| Castle Hill and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±4.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7 ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±5.8Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.9%±4.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Solon and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
44.8%±6.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5.8 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25% ME: 36.2% |
34.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26.7% ME: 36.2% |
21.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.3%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±5.3 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 | $69,205±$20kHighest 7% below ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$54,250±$14k 27% below ME |
$61,747±$11k 17% below ME |
| Solon and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $183,600±$12k 38% below ME |
$235,600±$33kHighest 21% below ME |
$145,300±$18kLowest 51% below ME |
$187,600±$40k 37% below ME |
| Appleton and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $915±$100 20% below ME |
$1,104±$82Highest 3% below ME |
$950±$574 17% below ME |
$906±$247Lowest 20% below ME |
| Appleton and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,854 39% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$1,449Lowest 52% below ME |
$1,983 35% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 14.6%±48.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
75%±100 ME: 48.4% |
30.9%±11.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 10.7% ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
15%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.6% ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
54.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
1964Lowest 13 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 52 minHighest 113% above ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 9.1%±4.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
10.3%±9.8 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±10.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Madison and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | RSU 74/MSAD 74 | Appleton Public Schools | — | 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 | 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.