Compare towns
Starks vs Brunswick vs Madison
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Starks has the most homeowners (90%).
Brunswick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
Madison has the most renters (61.1% rent).
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 | Starks | Brunswick | Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 556Lowest |
17,652Highest |
2,676 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+12.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.7% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.7±9.4Highest 4% above ME |
37.9±2.2Lowest 15% below ME |
44.9±12.3 about the ME average |
| Starks and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±4.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.1%±2.5 ME: 18.1% |
11.6%±5.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Starks and Brunswick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.3%±2.2Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23%±2.4Highest ME: 22.4% |
22.9%±7.5 ME: 22.4% |
| Brunswick 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% ME: 36.2% |
51.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
18.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
15.4%±1.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.4%±3.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $63,500±$8k 15% below ME |
$70,722±$5kHighest 5% below ME |
$61,698±$20kLowest 17% below ME |
| Brunswick and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $148,500±$27kLowest 50% below ME |
$363,200±$18kHighest 22% above ME |
$163,900±$59k 45% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,063±$301 7% below ME |
$1,465±$100Highest 29% above ME |
$850±$218Lowest 25% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,348Lowest 56% below ME |
$4,477Highest 47% above ME |
$1,740 43% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
58.8%±9.2Highest ME: 48.4% |
22.5%±13.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Brunswick and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
13% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
66.3% ME: 74.3% |
38.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1953Lowest 24 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 33% above ME |
23 minLowest 7% below ME |
31 min 25% above ME |
| Work from home | 3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
18%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
21.2%±14.1Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Madison and Brunswick 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 | — | #30 of 133 in ME | — |
| 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.