Compare towns
Cornish vs Somerville vs Unity vs Hodgdon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cornish has the oldest housing (typical home built 1958).
Somerville has the most kids (28.8% under 18).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
Hodgdon has the shortest commute (15 min average).
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 | Cornish | Somerville | Unity | Hodgdon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,024 |
837Lowest |
1,858Highest |
1,428 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +9.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2% ME: +2.6% |
-1.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.2±13.3 13% below ME |
33.5±11.3 25% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
42.2±6.2Highest 6% below ME |
| Hodgdon and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 10.5%±5.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
28.8%±7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
25.4%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
| Somerville and Hodgdon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 15.2%±6.8 ME: 22.4% |
13.7%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
20.7%±2.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Hodgdon and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.1% ME: 36.2% |
25.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.7%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $68,686±$2k 8% below ME |
$71,250±$15kHighest 5% below ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$54,519±$11kLowest 27% below ME |
| Somerville and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $218,100±$41kHighest 26% below ME |
$206,900±$28k 30% below ME |
$159,300±$25kLowest 46% below ME |
| Somerville and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,135±$141 about the ME average |
$1,583±$265Highest 39% above ME |
$873±$73 23% below ME |
$695±$426Lowest 39% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,925 37% below ME |
$2,505 17% below ME |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$1,614Lowest 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31%±22.9Lowest ME: 48.4% |
65.7%±58.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
45.3%±24.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Somerville and Hodgdon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.2% ME: 74.3% |
85.8%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 29% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
15 minLowest 40% below ME |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
3.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±2.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 12 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | RSU 70/MSAD 70 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Ecology Learning Ctr | Hodgdon Middle/High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.4Lowest |
13.8Highest |
| 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.