Compare towns
Cornish vs Sumner 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 most expensive homes ($274k median).
Sumner has the oldest population (median age 56.1).
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 | Sumner | Unity | Chesterville |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,803 |
845Lowest |
1,858Highest |
1,397 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5% ME: +2.6% |
+5.9% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5 13% below ME |
56.1±8.4Highest 25% 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% |
17.2%±6.9 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% |
29.7%±5.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
15%±3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21% ME: 36.2% |
15.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
20.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
1.4%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,038±$4kHighest 8% below ME |
$57,750±$19kLowest 23% below ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$61,635±$10k 18% below ME |
| Cornish and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $274,200±$84kHighest 8% below ME |
$150,000±$73kLowest 49% below ME |
$206,900±$28k 30% below ME |
$214,000±$40k 28% below ME |
| Cornish and Chesterville 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 |
— | $873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$1,088±$73 4% below ME |
| Cornish and Chesterville 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 |
$2,167Lowest 29% below ME |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$2,194 28% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
100%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Sumner 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% |
5.8%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1% ME: 74.3% |
91.1%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 |
1977 same as ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 27% above ME |
42 minHighest 72% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±8Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Sumner and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 10 | 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.