Compare towns
Freedom vs Waterville vs Unity
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Freedom has the most kids (22.2% under 18).
Waterville has the most renters (51.2% rent).
Unity has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).
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 | Freedom | Waterville | Unity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 670Lowest |
17,077Highest |
1,858 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+0.7% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 40.1±2.7Highest 10% below ME |
35.5±2.5 21% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
| Freedom and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±4.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
14.4%±2.4 ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 22.1%±2.9Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±2.5 ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Freedom and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 23.2% ME: 36.2% |
30.8%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
18.1%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $64,861±$12kHighest 13% below ME |
$53,580±$4kLowest 28% below ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
| Freedom and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $190,600±$69k 36% below ME |
$184,600±$21kLowest 38% below ME |
$206,900±$28kHighest 30% below ME |
| Unity and Freedom are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $978±$72Highest 14% below ME |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
| Waterville and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,328Lowest 23% below ME |
$2,755Highest 9% below ME |
$2,510 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 21.1%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.5%±8.7Highest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
| Waterville and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
20.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
17.3% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.2%Highest ME: 74.3% |
48.8%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
72.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 29% above ME |
18 minLowest 27% below ME |
21 min 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 8.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 15.9% |
16.6%±5.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
| Waterville 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 | — | #105 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | Waterville Public Schools | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center |
| High school in town | — | Waterville Senior High School | Ecology Learning Ctr |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8Highest |
12.4Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.