Compare towns
Brownfield vs Cornish vs Unity vs Jefferson
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brownfield has the most homeowners (87.7%).
Cornish has the oldest housing (typical home built 1976).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
Jefferson has the highest household income ($85k).
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 | Brownfield | Cornish | Unity | Jefferson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,830 |
1,803Lowest |
1,858 |
2,647Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.5% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+5.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.9±6.8Highest 11% below ME |
39±8.5 13% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
38.1±4.9 15% below ME |
| Brownfield and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 26.7%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
18.2%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
28%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Jefferson and Brownfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.5%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
17.4%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Jefferson and Brownfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25.3% ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
27.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.7%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.6%±2.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $60,889±$5kLowest 19% below ME |
$69,038±$4k 8% below ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$85,078±$17kHighest 14% above ME |
| Jefferson and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $287,500±$36k 3% below ME |
$274,200±$84k 8% below ME |
$206,900±$28kLowest 30% below ME |
$311,600±$35kHighest 5% above ME |
| Jefferson and Brownfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,617±$554Highest 42% above ME |
$1,196±$148 5% above ME |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$1,120±$130 about the ME average |
| Brownfield and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,976Highest about the ME average |
$2,309Lowest 24% below ME |
$2,510 17% below ME |
$2,587 15% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 61.8%±43.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
48.8%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
29.8%±25.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Brownfield and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.1% ME: 10.7% |
6.3% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.1% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
83.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 44 minHighest 80% above ME |
31 min 27% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 9.5%±4.5 ME: 15.9% |
8.5%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.9%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Brownfield 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 | — | — | — | #45 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 72/MSAD 72 | — | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | Jefferson Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Ecology Learning Ctr | None in town |
| 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.