Compare towns
Columbia vs Mapleton vs Unity vs Chester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Columbia has the most affordable homes ($159k median).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
Chester has the oldest population (median age 44).
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 | Columbia | Mapleton | Unity | Chester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 529Lowest |
1,884Highest |
1,858 |
598 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 41.9±6.4 6% below ME |
41.8±6 7% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
44±10Highest about the ME average |
| Chester and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 24.2%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.4%±5.2 ME: 18.1% |
| Columbia and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.9%±5.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.6%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Columbia and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21.2% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 9.1%±4.6 ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
1%±2.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $56,667±$15kLowest 24% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$64,500±$8k 14% below ME |
| Mapleton and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $158,700±$19kLowest 46% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$206,900±$28kHighest 30% below ME |
$172,500±$59k 42% below ME |
| Unity and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $894±$162Highest 22% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$873±$73 23% below ME |
$833±$51 27% below ME |
| Columbia and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,226Lowest 60% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$1,378 55% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 61.9%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±37.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Columbia and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 13.4% ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
79.9% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
77.1% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1981 4 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 27% above ME |
28 min 13% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
33 minHighest 34% above ME |
| Work from home | 9%±5.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.7%±5.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | — |
| High school in town | — | None 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 | 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.