Compare towns
Mercer vs Unity vs New Sharon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mercer has the most people working from home (20.5%).
Unity has the youngest population (median age 27.5).
New Sharon has the most affordable homes ($171k median).
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 | Mercer | Unity | New Sharon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 718Lowest |
1,858Highest |
1,550 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.8% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+3.6%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 43.4±4.5 3% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
43.9±8.9Highest about the ME average |
| New Sharon and Mercer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.1%±6.4Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
20%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Mercer and New Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.9%±5.6Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
23.8%±3.1 ME: 22.4% |
| Mercer and New Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
29.9% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.7%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±1.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,107±$2kHighest 5% below ME |
$62,857±$6kLowest 16% below ME |
$63,889±$21k 15% below ME |
| Mercer and New Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $238,500±$32kHighest 20% below ME |
$206,900±$28k 30% below ME |
$171,200±$21kLowest 42% below ME |
| Mercer and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$249Highest 25% above ME |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$961±$55 16% below ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,970 35% below ME |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$1,889Lowest 38% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18.5%±74Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
61%±38Highest ME: 48.4% |
| New Sharon and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.6% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
90.2% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987Highest 10 yrs newer than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 23% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
| Work from home | 20.5%±8.9Highest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
8.7%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mercer and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | RSU 09 |
| High school in town | — | Ecology Learning Ctr | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.4 |
— |
| 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.