Compare towns
Bingham vs Patten vs Unity
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bingham has the most affordable homes ($103k median).
Patten has the most people working from home (28.7%).
Unity has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).
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 | Bingham | Patten | Unity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 660Lowest |
1,154 |
1,858Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.1% ME: +2.6% |
-13.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 56±8.2 25% above ME |
57.8±3.5Highest 29% above ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
| Patten and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±6.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
11.3%±2.9Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Bingham and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 38.3%±4 ME: 22.4% |
38.5%±3.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Patten and Bingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.6% ME: 36.2% |
25.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $42,708±$22kLowest 43% below ME |
$51,484±$6k 31% below ME |
$62,857±$6kHighest 16% below ME |
| Unity and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $103,000±$26kLowest 65% below ME |
$127,600±$49k 57% below ME |
$206,900±$28kHighest 30% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $354±$264Lowest 69% below ME |
$389±$99 66% below ME |
$873±$73Highest 23% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,059Lowest 65% below ME |
$1,199 61% below ME |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±45.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
56%±64.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
| Patten and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16.1%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
23.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
17.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.5% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 25 yrs older than ME |
1966 11 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 13% above ME |
28 minHighest 13% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 8.8%±6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
28.7%±19.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Patten and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 83/MSAD 13 | — | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center |
| High school in town | Upper Kennebec Valley Middle/Senior High School | — | Ecology Learning Ctr |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 7.3Lowest |
— | 12.4Highest |
| 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.