Compare towns
Augusta vs Thorndike vs Unity vs Sidney
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Augusta has the most renters (46.2% rent).
Thorndike has the most people working from home (44.7%).
Sidney has the most expensive homes ($336k median).
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 | Augusta | Thorndike | Unity | Sidney |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 19,077Highest |
1,403Lowest |
1,858 |
4,790 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.2% ME: +2.6% |
-13%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2% ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42.5±2.4 5% below ME |
19.3±23.6Lowest 57% below ME |
27.5±2.2 39% below ME |
43±5.5Highest 4% below ME |
| Sidney and Augusta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.9%±2.6 ME: 18.1% |
49.8%±28.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Thorndike and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 21.5%±2.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.7%±6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3 ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Augusta and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 28.9% ME: 36.2% |
25.2% ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
33.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $47,979±$3kLowest 36% below ME |
$78,438±$14k 5% above ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$83,488±$10kHighest 12% above ME |
| Sidney and Thorndike are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $201,000±$18kLowest 32% below ME |
$205,600±$88k 31% below ME |
$206,900±$28k 30% below ME |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $919±$79 19% below ME |
$836±$317Lowest 27% below ME |
$873±$73 23% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,465Lowest 19% below ME |
$2,537Highest 16% below ME |
$2,510 17% below ME |
$2,474 19% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.2%±8.3Highest ME: 48.4% |
36%±62.5 ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Augusta and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 18.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.5% ME: 10.7% |
17.3% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 53.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.2% ME: 74.3% |
72.3% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965Lowest 12 yrs older than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 24% below ME |
36 minHighest 46% above ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 15.1%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
44.7%±35.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Thorndike 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 | #119 of 133 in ME | — | — | #15 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Augusta Public Schools · Maine Arts Academy | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | RSU 18 |
| High school in town | Cony | Mt View High School | Ecology Learning Ctr | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 17.9Highest |
11.7Lowest |
12.4 |
— |
| 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.