Compare towns
Bridgewater vs Unity vs Ripley
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bridgewater has the most kids (17.1% under 18).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
Ripley has the most affordable homes ($144k 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 | Bridgewater | Unity | Ripley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 484 |
1,858Highest |
436Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 48.8±8Highest 9% above ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
47.7±5.3 6% above ME |
| Bridgewater and Ripley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.3%±6.5 ME: 18.1% |
| Bridgewater and Ripley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.5%±2.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
17.7%±4.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 18.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
19.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±2.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±6 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,417±$15kHighest 12% below ME |
$62,857±$6kLowest 16% below ME |
$64,821±$13k 13% below ME |
| Bridgewater and Ripley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $154,900±$78k 48% below ME |
$206,900±$28kHighest 30% below ME |
$144,300±$33kLowest 51% below ME |
| Unity and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $768±$116Lowest 33% below ME |
$873±$73 23% below ME |
$1,091±$281Highest 4% below ME |
| Ripley and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,417 53% below ME |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$1,270Lowest 58% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.9%±59.5 ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13Highest ME: 48.4% |
11.5%±73.7Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Unity and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
11.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
81% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 10% below ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
32 minHighest 28% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.5%±5.1 ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.5%±6.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | — |
| High school 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 |
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.