Compare towns
Limestone vs Mars Hill vs Unity
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Limestone has the most affordable homes ($98k median).
Mars Hill has the most kids (22.9% under 18).
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 | Limestone | Mars Hill | Unity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,579 |
1,398Lowest |
1,858Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -34.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-8.9% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.3±4.9Highest about the ME average |
43.4±3 3% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
| Limestone and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.7%±4.8 ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
| Mars Hill and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.7%±3.6 ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Mars Hill and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.3%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 9.5%±4.7 ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±3.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $49,938±$8kLowest 33% below ME |
$65,273±$9kHighest 13% below ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
| Mars Hill and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $98,400±$18kLowest 67% below ME |
$163,600±$23k 45% below ME |
$206,900±$28kHighest 30% below ME |
| Unity and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $754±$233 34% below ME |
$488±$96Lowest 57% below ME |
$873±$73Highest 23% below ME |
| Unity and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,332Lowest 56% below ME |
$1,843 39% below ME |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 32%±12.4 ME: 48.4% |
30.6%±7.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Unity and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16.4% ME: 10.7% |
9.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 61.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
70.6% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 18 yrs older than ME |
1967 10 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 24% below ME |
21 minHighest 14% below ME |
21 minHighest 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±5.2 ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±6.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Limestone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics · Limestone Public Schools | RSU 42/MSAD 42 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center |
| High school in town | ME Sch of Science & Mathematics | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S | Ecology Learning Ctr |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.6 |
8.0Lowest |
12.4Highest |
| 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.