Compare towns
Cornish vs Dedham vs Unity
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 1976).
Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
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 | Dedham | Unity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,803 |
1,656Lowest |
1,858Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5% ME: +2.6% |
-2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5 13% below ME |
46.5±2.2Highest 4% above ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
| Dedham and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.2%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Dedham and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
18.7%±2.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Dedham and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
49.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
3.3%±1.7 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,038±$4k 8% below ME |
$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME |
$62,857±$6kLowest 16% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $274,200±$84k 8% below ME |
$356,400±$33kHighest 20% above ME |
$206,900±$28kLowest 30% below ME |
| Dedham and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,196±$148 5% above ME |
$1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
| Dedham and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,309Lowest 24% below ME |
$3,942Highest 30% above ME |
$2,510 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
| Cornish and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1% ME: 74.3% |
95.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 27% above ME |
30 min 22% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
9.3%±4.3 ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Dedham Public Schools | 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 |
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.