Compare towns
Chesterville vs Steuben vs Unity vs Mount Vernon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Chesterville has the most kids (31.3% under 18).
Steuben has the most affordable homes ($174k median).
Unity has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).
Mount Vernon has the most people working from home (28.3%).
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 | Chesterville | Steuben | Unity | Mount Vernon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,397 |
1,388Lowest |
1,858Highest |
1,716 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-0.2% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4.9% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 37.8±4 16% below ME |
40.1±8.5 10% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
47.1±6.2Highest 5% above ME |
| Mount Vernon and Steuben are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
20.4%±5.4 ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20.7%±5.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Chesterville and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 15%±3 ME: 22.4% |
15.9%±1 ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.5%±1.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.4% ME: 36.2% |
18.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
42.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.6%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $61,635±$10kLowest 18% below ME |
$76,466±$4kHighest about the ME average |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$74,395±$6k about the ME average |
| Steuben and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $214,000±$40k 28% below ME |
$173,900±$32kLowest 41% below ME |
$206,900±$28k 30% below ME |
$264,200±$23kHighest 11% below ME |
| Mount Vernon and Chesterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,088±$73Highest 4% below ME |
$678±$319Lowest 40% below ME |
$873±$73 23% below ME |
$893±$168 22% below ME |
| Chesterville and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,194 28% below ME |
$2,029Lowest 33% below ME |
$2,510 17% below ME |
$2,832Highest 7% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 21.8%±30.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
26.3%±87.8 ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13Highest ME: 48.4% |
26.9%±36.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Unity and Mount Vernon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12% ME: 10.7% |
5.4% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.4% ME: 74.3% |
89.4% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
89.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1978Lowest 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
28 min 14% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
32 minHighest 29% above ME |
| Work from home | 7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
11.8%±6.5 ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
28.3%±11.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Vernon and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 24 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | RSU 38 |
| 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.