Compare towns
Mars Hill vs Unity vs Searsport
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mars Hill has the most kids (22.9% under 18).
Unity has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).
Searsport has the most people working from home (20.2%).
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 | Mars Hill | Unity | Searsport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,398Lowest |
1,858 |
2,655Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -8.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+1.3% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±3Highest 3% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
42.9±7.2 4% below ME |
| Mars Hill and Searsport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.9%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
15.8%±5.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Mars Hill and Searsport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.5%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.7%±7.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Mars Hill and Searsport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
23.2% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.8%±3.4 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.4%±3.5Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,273±$9kHighest 13% below ME |
$62,857±$6kLowest 16% below ME |
$64,303±$19k 14% below ME |
| Mars Hill and Searsport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $163,600±$23kLowest 45% below ME |
$206,900±$28k 30% below ME |
$224,400±$78kHighest 24% below ME |
| Searsport and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $488±$96Lowest 57% below ME |
$873±$73 23% below ME |
$1,105±$87Highest about the ME average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,843Lowest 39% below ME |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$2,225 27% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.6%±7.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
48.2%±25.4Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Searsport and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
14.6% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70.6% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
69.4%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1975 2 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 14% below ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
22 minHighest 13% below ME |
| Work from home | 6.9%±6.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
20.2%±9.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
| Searsport 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 | — | — | #109 of 133 in ME |
| School district | RSU 42/MSAD 42 | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | RSU 20 |
| High school in town | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S | Ecology Learning Ctr | Searsport District High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.0Lowest |
12.4Highest |
8.2 |
| 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.