Compare towns
Calais vs Unity vs Searsport
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Calais has the most affordable homes ($111k median).
Unity has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).
Searsport has the most people working from home (20.2%).
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 | Calais | Unity | Searsport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,097Highest |
1,858Lowest |
2,655 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.4%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.8±5.1Highest about the ME average |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
42.9±7.2 4% below ME |
| Calais and Searsport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.8%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Calais and Searsport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.1%±5.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.7%±7.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Calais and Searsport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
23.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.4%±3.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,096±$10k 14% below ME |
$62,857±$6kLowest 16% below ME |
$64,303±$19kHighest 14% below ME |
| Searsport and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $111,100±$36kLowest 63% below ME |
$206,900±$28k 30% below ME |
$224,400±$78kHighest 24% below ME |
| Searsport and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,010±$199 11% below ME |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$1,105±$87Highest about the ME average |
| Searsport and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,684Lowest 45% below ME |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$2,225 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.7%±20.6Highest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13Lowest ME: 48.4% |
48.2%±25.4 ME: 48.4% |
| Calais and Searsport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 21.4%Highest ME: 10.7% |
17.3% ME: 10.7% |
14.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.3% ME: 74.3% |
69.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1975 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 16 minLowest 35% below ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
22 minHighest 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 2.6%±2.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
20.2%±9.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Searsport and Unity 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 | #48 of 133 in ME | — | #109 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Calais Public Schools | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | RSU 20 |
| High school in town | Calais Middle/High School | Ecology Learning Ctr | Searsport District High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.0 |
12.4Highest |
8.2Lowest |
| 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.