Compare towns
Cornish vs Unity vs Strong 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).
Unity has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Strong has the oldest population (median age 47.5).
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 | Unity | Strong | Brownfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,803 |
1,858Highest |
1,249Lowest |
1,830 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+2.1% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5 13% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
39.9±6.8 11% below ME |
| Strong 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% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.5%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
26.7%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Brownfield and Strong 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% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
22%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.5%±1.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Strong 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% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
26.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
25.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
0.7%±0.9Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,038±$4kHighest 8% below ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$47,557±$10kLowest 36% below ME |
$60,889±$5k 19% 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±$84k 8% below ME |
$206,900±$28k 30% below ME |
$183,900±$29kLowest 38% 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 |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$920±$276 19% 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 |
$2,510 17% below ME |
$1,950Lowest 36% below ME |
$2,976Highest about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4Lowest 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% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
13.9% ME: 10.7% |
8.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
87.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 1 yr older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 27% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
31 min 26% above ME |
44 minHighest 80% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
9.5%±4.5 ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | RSU 72/MSAD 72 |
| High school in town | — | Ecology Learning Ctr | None in town | None in town |
| 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.