Compare towns
Cornish vs Unity vs Westbrook 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 population (median age 39).
Unity has the youngest population (median age 27.5).
Westbrook has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.6%).
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 | Unity | Westbrook | Chesterville |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,803 |
1,858 |
20,775Highest |
1,397Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2% ME: +2.6% |
+16.6%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5Highest 13% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
37.4±1 17% below ME |
37.8±4 16% below ME |
| Cornish and Chesterville 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% |
18.5%±2.4 ME: 18.1% |
31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
18.1%±2.2Highest ME: 22.4% |
15%±3 ME: 22.4% |
| Westbrook and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21% ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
41.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
20.4%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
9%±2.5 ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,038±$4k 8% below ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$85,038±$7kHighest 14% above ME |
$61,635±$10kLowest 18% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $274,200±$84k 8% below ME |
$206,900±$28kLowest 30% below ME |
$383,300±$19kHighest 29% above ME |
$214,000±$40k 28% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,196±$148 5% above ME |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$1,392±$74Highest 22% above ME |
$1,088±$73 4% below ME |
| Westbrook 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 |
$4,005Highest 32% above ME |
$2,194Lowest 28% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
46.1%±7.4 ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Cornish and Westbrook 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% |
8% ME: 10.7% |
12% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1% ME: 74.3% |
72.3% ME: 74.3% |
61.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
86.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 1 yr older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1975Lowest 2 yrs older than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 27% above ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
19 minLowest 24% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
17.8%±2.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Westbrook and Unity 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 | — | — | #115 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | Westbrook Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | — | Ecology Learning Ctr | Westbrook High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.4Highest |
12.0Lowest |
— |
| 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.