Compare towns
Starks vs Gray 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 affordable homes ($149k median).
Gray has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.5%).
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 | Starks | Gray | Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 556Lowest |
8,429Highest |
4,782 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+6.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.7% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.7±9.4 4% above ME |
43.4±4.5Lowest 3% below ME |
49.6±3.4Highest 11% above ME |
| Madison and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
19%±4Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.9%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Gray and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.3%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
19.3%±4Lowest ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Madison and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
44.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.4%±2.2Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Gray and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $63,500±$8k 15% below ME |
$95,236±$8kHighest 27% above ME |
$61,747±$11kLowest 17% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $148,500±$27kLowest 50% below ME |
$363,700±$20kHighest 23% above ME |
$187,600±$40k 37% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,063±$301 7% below ME |
$1,371±$89Highest 20% above ME |
$906±$247Lowest 20% below ME |
| Gray and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,348Lowest 56% below ME |
$3,683Highest 21% above ME |
$1,983 35% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
56.4%±24Highest ME: 48.4% |
30.9%±11.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Gray 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% |
3.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
15% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.4% ME: 74.3% |
54.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1964Lowest 13 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 33% above ME |
29 min 16% above ME |
27 minLowest 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
12.3%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±10.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Madison and Gray 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 | — | #10 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | RSU 59/MSAD 59 |
| High school in town | — | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Madison Jr/Sr High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5Highest |
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.