Compare towns
Bowdoin vs Mapleton vs Somerville vs Unity
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bowdoin has the most expensive homes ($293k median).
Mapleton has the most affordable homes ($192k median).
Somerville has the most kids (28.8% under 18).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
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 | Bowdoin | Mapleton | Somerville | Unity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 3,188Highest |
1,884 |
837Lowest |
1,858 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.5% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.3±10Highest about the ME average |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
33.5±11.3 25% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
| Bowdoin and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±6.2 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
28.8%±7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Somerville and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 14.1%±4.7 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
13.7%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Mapleton and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.4% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25.7% ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,239±$13k 22% above ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$71,250±$15k 5% below ME |
$62,857±$6kLowest 16% below ME |
| Mapleton and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $292,800±$71kHighest about the ME average |
$191,800±$23kLowest 35% below ME |
$218,100±$41k 26% below ME |
$206,900±$28k 30% below ME |
| Bowdoin and Somerville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,583±$265Highest 39% above ME |
$873±$73 23% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,375Highest 11% above ME |
$1,789Lowest 41% below ME |
$2,505 17% below ME |
$2,510 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±42.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5 ME: 48.4% |
65.7%±58.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
| Somerville and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 11% ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.7% ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
85.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1989 12 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 29% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 11.7%±7 ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
3.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Bowdoin 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 | #28 of 133 in ME | — | — | — |
| School district | RSU 75/MSAD 75 | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 12 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | Ecology Learning Ctr |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | — | 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.