Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Solon’s best subject grades are a B+ for history and cost of living; its weakest is a C− for schools. Solon’s average trip to work is 52 minutes, above both Maine’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 11 of Maine’s 285 towns score lower on hazard risk. Only 25 of Maine’s 285 towns score lower on the outdoors. The biggest park or preserve is Parkman Hill Farm, at 652 acres. Solon has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Solon beats most towns.
Census counts: 38 in 1800, a peak of 1,415 in 1850, 978 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1869 and 4 maps from 1904 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Solon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Solon, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Solon.
The typical Solon home is worth about $212,000, up 1.9% in a year, 49% below the Maine typical home. 89% of households own their home in Solon, against 81% in Maine’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. Solon’s median rent is $915 a month.
| Solon | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 89% | 81% | 73% |
| Median rent | $915 a month | $1,106 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by RSU 74/MSAD 74. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solon Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 94 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ME on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Solon for work: only 4% work in town. The top destinations are Skowhegan (12%), Bingham (12%) and Madison (6%). Half commute less than 29 miles.
| Solon | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 4.1% | 12% | 8% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 9% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Solon has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Solon is 78°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among 144 Maine towns, just 4 have a higher FEMA risk score than Solon. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Solon since 1984.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Solon beats the Maine average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 84% of adults had a checkup this year in Solon.
| Solon | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 81% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 36% |
| What stands out | Solon | ME |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12% | 14.8% |
| More adults getting a yearly checkup | 84.2% | 81.2% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
22 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Solon | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.5% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Parkman Hill Farm | 0.8 mi | 652 |
| 2. Indian & Fowl Meadow Islands | — | 39 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Solon; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Solon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Town in Maine, United States
Solon is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The population was 978 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. That is 3.6 years of the area's median household income ($58,179 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
2 notable people were born here, including George Washburn and Charles H. Baker.
