Compare towns
Auburn vs Unity vs Poland
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Auburn has the most renters (40.9% rent).
Unity has the youngest population (median age 27.5).
Poland has the most people working from home (21.9%).
Unity is a college town. 30% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Auburn | Unity | Poland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 24,602Highest |
1,858Lowest |
5,954 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2% ME: +2.6% |
+9.9%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.4±2.7 8% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
44.2±9.4Highest about the ME average |
| Poland and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.4%±2.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
21.4%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 19.8%±2Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
17.8%±4.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Auburn and Poland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
23.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,647±$5k 11% below ME |
$62,857±$6kLowest 16% below ME |
$85,557±$23kHighest 14% above ME |
| Poland and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $282,000±$12k 5% below ME |
$206,900±$28kLowest 30% below ME |
$283,600±$44kHighest 4% below ME |
| Poland and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,041±$74 9% below ME |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$1,198±$128Highest 5% above ME |
| Poland and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,687Highest 21% above ME |
$2,510Lowest 17% below ME |
$2,774 9% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.4%±7.4 ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13Lowest ME: 48.4% |
61.6%±30.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Poland and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
16.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.1%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
72.3% ME: 74.3% |
81.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 23 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 12% below ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.5%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±10.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Poland and Unity 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 | #110 of 133 in ME | — | #81 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Auburn Public Schools | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | RSU 16 |
| High school in town | Edward Little High School | Ecology Learning Ctr | Poland Regional H S |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.1Highest |
12.4 |
12.2Lowest |
| 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.