Compare towns
Bowdoin vs Thorndike vs Union
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 highest household income ($91k).
Thorndike has the most people working from home (44.7%).
Union has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.5%).
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 | Thorndike | Union |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,188Highest |
1,403Lowest |
2,663 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.5% ME: +2.6% |
-13%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+5.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 44.3±10Highest about the ME average |
19.3±23.6Lowest 57% below ME |
41.6±5.3 7% below ME |
| Bowdoin and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±6.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
49.8%±28.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
24.9%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Thorndike and Union 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% |
11.7%±6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Union 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% |
25.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±2.2 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Union and Bowdoin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,239±$13kHighest 22% above ME |
$78,438±$14kLowest 5% above ME |
$80,724±$9k 8% above ME |
| Bowdoin and Union 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 |
$205,600±$88kLowest 31% below ME |
$267,600±$42k 10% below ME |
| Bowdoin and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $836±$317Lowest 27% below ME |
$1,179±$452Highest 4% above ME |
| Union and Thorndike are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,375Highest 11% above ME |
$2,537Lowest 16% below ME |
$3,276 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±42.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
36%±62.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8 ME: 48.4% |
| Thorndike and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.7%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
87.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1992Highest 15 yrs newer than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
1979Lowest 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 min 29% above ME |
36 minHighest 46% above ME |
29 minLowest 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 11.7%±7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
44.7%±35.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Thorndike and Union 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 03/MSAD 03 | RSU 40/MSAD 40 |
| High school in town | None in town | Mt View High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.7 |
— |
| 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.