Compare towns
Cornish vs Lovell 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 1976).
Lovell has the most people working from home (21.8%).
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 | Lovell | Unity | Chesterville |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,803 |
1,353Lowest |
1,858Highest |
1,397 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5% ME: +2.6% |
-3.2%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5 13% below ME |
52.2±3.5Highest 17% above ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
37.8±4 16% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 18.2%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
15.4%±4.2 ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
26.5%±3.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
15%±3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21% ME: 36.2% |
36.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
20.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
6.3%±4.2 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,038±$4k 8% below ME |
$80,625±$20kHighest 8% above ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$61,635±$10kLowest 18% below ME |
| Lovell and Cornish 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 |
$295,000±$47kHighest about the ME average |
$206,900±$28kLowest 30% below ME |
$214,000±$40k 28% below ME |
| Lovell 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 |
$1,419±$178Highest 25% above ME |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$1,088±$73 4% below ME |
| Lovell and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,309 24% below ME |
$1,480Lowest 51% below ME |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$2,194 28% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
45.3%±29.3 ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Cornish and Lovell 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% |
10% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1% ME: 74.3% |
88.9%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
86.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 27% above ME |
31 minHighest 28% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
21.8%±10.2Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Lovell and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 72/MSAD 72 | 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.