Compare towns
Cornish vs Unity vs Winthrop 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 housing (typical home built 1976).
Unity has the youngest population (median age 27.5).
Winthrop has the most people working from home (23.1%).
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 | Winthrop | Chesterville |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,803 |
1,858 |
6,191Highest |
1,397Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+0.5% ME: +2.6% |
-1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 39±8.5 13% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
43.6±5.3Highest about the ME average |
37.8±4 16% below ME |
| Winthrop and Cornish 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% |
22.9%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
31.3%±6.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Chesterville and Winthrop 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% |
23.4%±5Highest ME: 22.4% |
15%±3 ME: 22.4% |
| Winthrop 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% |
40%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% |
3.5%±2.4 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 |
$86,470±$4kHighest 16% above ME |
$61,635±$10kLowest 18% below ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $274,200±$84k 8% below ME |
$206,900±$28kLowest 30% below ME |
$294,800±$41kHighest about the ME average |
$214,000±$40k 28% below ME |
| Winthrop and Cornish 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 |
$892±$319 22% 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 |
$2,510 17% below ME |
$3,506Highest 15% above ME |
$2,194Lowest 28% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.8%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
50.8%±22.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Winthrop 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% |
12.9% ME: 10.7% |
12% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.1% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
86.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 27% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
35 minHighest 41% above ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
23.1%±6.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Winthrop 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 | — | — | #12 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | Winthrop Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | — | Ecology Learning Ctr | Winthrop High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.4Highest |
11.7Lowest |
— |
| 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.