Compare towns
Cornish vs Jefferson vs Unity vs Parsonsfield
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).
Jefferson has the highest household income ($85k).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
Parsonsfield has the oldest population (median age 44.3).
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 | Cornish | Jefferson | Unity | Parsonsfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,803 |
2,647Highest |
1,858 |
1,715Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5% ME: +2.6% |
+5.1% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-5.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5 13% below ME |
38.1±4.9 15% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
44.3±5.9Highest about the ME average |
| Parsonsfield 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% |
28%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
25%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Jefferson and Parsonsfield 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%±3.5Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Jefferson and Parsonsfield 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% |
27.6%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
21.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
4.6%±2.5 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,038±$4k 8% below ME |
$85,078±$17kHighest 14% above ME |
$62,857±$6kLowest 16% below ME |
$72,045±$18k 4% below ME |
| Jefferson and Parsonsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $274,200±$84k 8% below ME |
$311,600±$35kHighest 5% above ME |
$206,900±$28kLowest 30% below ME |
$272,100±$21k 8% below ME |
| Jefferson and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,196±$148Highest 5% above ME |
$1,120±$130 about the ME average |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$1,185±$312 4% above ME |
| Cornish and Parsonsfield 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 |
$2,587Highest 15% below ME |
$2,510 17% below ME |
$2,350 23% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
29.8%±25.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
78.2%±35Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Parsonsfield and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.3% ME: 10.7% |
3.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1% ME: 74.3% |
83.8% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
86.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 27% above ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
48 minHighest 97% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
8.9%±3.6 ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
5.1%±4.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #45 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | — | Jefferson 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 | 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.