Compare towns
Cornish vs Mars Hill vs Unity vs Brownfield
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 highest household income ($69k).
Mars Hill has the most affordable homes ($164k median).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
Brownfield has the most kids (26.7% 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 | Mars Hill | Unity | Brownfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,803 |
1,398Lowest |
1,858Highest |
1,830 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5% ME: +2.6% |
-8.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+2.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5 13% below ME |
43.4±3Highest 3% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
39.9±6.8 11% below ME |
| Mars Hill and Brownfield 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% |
22.9%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
26.7%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brownfield and Mars Hill 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% |
24.5%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Mars Hill and Brownfield 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% |
26%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
25.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±3.4 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.7%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,038±$4kHighest 8% below ME |
$65,273±$9k 13% below ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$60,889±$5kLowest 19% below ME |
| Cornish and Mars Hill 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 |
$163,600±$23kLowest 45% below ME |
$206,900±$28k 30% below ME |
$287,500±$36kHighest 3% below ME |
| Brownfield 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 |
$488±$96Lowest 57% below ME |
$873±$73 23% below ME |
$1,617±$554Highest 42% above ME |
| Brownfield 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 |
$1,843Lowest 39% below ME |
$2,510 17% below ME |
$2,976Highest about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
30.6%±7.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
61.8%±43.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Brownfield and Cornish 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% |
9.6% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
8.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1% ME: 74.3% |
70.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
72.3% ME: 74.3% |
87.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 1 yr older than ME |
1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 27% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
44 minHighest 80% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±6.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.5%±4.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Brownfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 42/MSAD 42 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | RSU 72/MSAD 72 |
| High school in town | — | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S | Ecology Learning Ctr | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 8.0Lowest |
12.4Highest |
— |
| 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.