Compare towns
Solon vs Jay 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 homeowners (88.6%).
Jay has the shortest commute (21 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 | Jay | Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 963Lowest |
4,657 |
4,782Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-4.8% ME: +2.6% |
-2.7%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±5.4 about the ME average |
39.5±5.1Lowest 12% below ME |
49.6±3.4Highest 11% above ME |
| Madison and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±4.6 ME: 18.1% |
17.5%±5.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.9%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Jay and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4.7Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Madison and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25% ME: 36.2% |
29.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.3%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.5%±3.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Jay and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,205±$20k 7% below ME |
$70,238±$19kHighest 6% below ME |
$61,747±$11kLowest 17% below ME |
| Jay and Solon 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 |
$168,600±$27kLowest 43% below ME |
$187,600±$40kHighest 37% below ME |
| Madison and Solon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $915±$100Highest 20% below ME |
$759±$141Lowest 33% below ME |
$906±$247 20% below ME |
| Solon and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,854Lowest 39% below ME |
$2,245Highest 26% below ME |
$1,983 35% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 14.6%±48.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
27.2%±28.8 ME: 48.4% |
30.9%±11.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Madison and Jay 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% |
9.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
15%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.7% ME: 74.3% |
54.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1980Highest 3 yrs newer than ME |
1964Lowest 13 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 52 minHighest 113% above ME |
21 minLowest 13% below ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 9.1%±4.7 ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±10.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Madison and Solon 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 | — | #86 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 74/MSAD 74 | RSU 73 | RSU 59/MSAD 59 |
| High school in town | None in town | Spruce Mountain High School | Madison Jr/Sr High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.7Highest |
10.0Lowest |
| 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.