Compare towns
Cornish vs Thomaston 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 most expensive homes ($274k median).
Thomaston has the shortest commute (14 min average).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
Parsonsfield has the most kids (25% 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 | Thomaston | Unity | Parsonsfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,803 |
2,769Highest |
1,858 |
1,715Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5% ME: +2.6% |
-1.5% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-5.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5 13% below ME |
58.1±6.6Highest 30% above ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
44.3±5.9 about the ME average |
| Kids under 18 | 18.2%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
19.2%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
25%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Parsonsfield and Thomaston 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% |
35.5%±8.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
30.9%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% |
1.6%±1.4 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 |
$56,435±$13kLowest 24% below ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$72,045±$18kHighest 4% below ME |
| Parsonsfield 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±$84kHighest 8% below ME |
$271,700±$10k 8% below ME |
$206,900±$28kLowest 30% below ME |
$272,100±$21k 8% below ME |
| Cornish and Parsonsfield 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 |
$1,262±$343Highest 11% above ME |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$1,185±$312 4% above ME |
| Thomaston 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 |
$4,487Highest 48% above 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% |
60.5%±23.5 ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13Lowest ME: 48.4% |
78.2%±35Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Parsonsfield and Thomaston 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% |
6.6% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1% ME: 74.3% |
73.9% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
86.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 1 yr older than ME |
1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 27% above ME |
14 minLowest 45% below ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
48 minHighest 97% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
4.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
5.1%±4.2 ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Cornish 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 | — | #99 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | — | RSU 13 | 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.