Compare towns
Cornish vs Union vs Unity vs Chesterville
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).
Union has the highest household income ($81k).
Unity has the youngest population (median age 27.5).
Chesterville has the most kids (31.3% under 18).
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 | Union | Unity | Chesterville |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,024Lowest |
2,663Highest |
1,858 |
1,397 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +5.5% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39.2±13.3 13% below ME |
41.6±5.3Highest 7% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
37.8±4 16% below ME |
| Union 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% |
24.9%±4 ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6 ME: 18.1% |
31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Chesterville and Union 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% |
21.4%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
15%±3 ME: 22.4% |
| Union 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%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
20.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $68,686±$2k 8% below ME |
$80,724±$9kHighest 8% above ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$61,635±$10kLowest 18% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $267,600±$42kHighest 10% below ME |
$206,900±$28kLowest 30% below ME |
$214,000±$40k 28% below ME |
| Union and Chesterville 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 |
$1,179±$452Highest 4% above ME |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$1,088±$73 4% below ME |
| Union and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,925Lowest 37% below ME |
$3,276Highest 8% above ME |
$2,510 17% below ME |
$2,194 28% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31%±22.9 ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8 ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13Highest ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Unity and Cornish 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% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.2% ME: 74.3% |
85.9% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
86.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 19 yrs older than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 29% above ME |
29 min 20% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Union and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 40/MSAD 40 | 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.