Compare towns
Starks vs Mapleton vs Calais 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%).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Calais has grown the fastest since 2010 (-1.4%).
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 | Mapleton | Calais | Madison |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 556Lowest |
1,884 |
3,097 |
4,782Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
-1.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.7% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.7±9.4 4% above ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
43.8±5.1 about the ME average |
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% |
22.2%±5.1Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±4.7 ME: 18.1% |
14.9%±4.3Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mapleton 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% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.1%±5.3 ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Madison and Calais 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% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25.3% ME: 36.2% |
21.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
5.1%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.1%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
| Calais and Mapleton 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 |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$64,096±$10k 14% below ME |
$61,747±$11kLowest 17% below ME |
| Mapleton and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $148,500±$27k 50% below ME |
$191,800±$23kHighest 35% below ME |
$111,100±$36kLowest 63% below ME |
$187,600±$40k 37% below ME |
| Mapleton and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,063±$301Highest 7% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,010±$199 11% below ME |
$906±$247 20% below ME |
| Starks and Calais 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 |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$1,684 45% below ME |
$1,983Highest 35% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
53.7%±20.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
30.9%±11.7 ME: 48.4% |
| Calais and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 19.2% ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
21.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
15% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
73.4% ME: 74.3% |
54.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1969 8 yrs older than ME |
1964Lowest 13 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 33% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
16 minLowest 35% below ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 3.3%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±10.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Madison and Mapleton 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 | — | — | #48 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Calais Public Schools | RSU 59/MSAD 59 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Calais Middle/High School | Madison Jr/Sr High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.0Highest |
10.0Lowest |
| 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.