Compare towns

Northfield vs Unity

Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.

What stands out worked out from the figures below

Northfield has the oldest population (median age 62.1).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
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.

MeasureNorthfieldUnity
People
Population
263Lowest
1,858Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census —
+9.2%
ME: +2.6%
Median age
62.1±16.2Highest
39% above ME
27.5±2.2Lowest
39% below ME
Kids under 18
11.4%±7.8Lowest
ME: 18.1%
14%±3.6Highest
ME: 18.1%
Unity and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+
39.2%±9.2Highest
ME: 22.4%
11.8%±3Lowest
ME: 22.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
40.4%Highest
ME: 36.2%
22.1%Lowest
ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
1.5%±4.4Lowest
ME: 5.8%
30%±4.3Highest
ME: 5.8%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian
$68,333±$52kHighest
9% below ME
$62,857±$6kLowest
16% below ME
Northfield and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$198,600±$64kLowest
33% below ME
$206,900±$28kHighest
30% below ME
Unity and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly —
$873±$73
23% below ME
Property taxmedian, yearly
$1,773Lowest
42% below ME
$2,510Highest
17% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent —
44.8%±13
ME: 48.4%
Below poverty line
20.5%Highest
ME: 10.7%
17.3%Lowest
ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
88.9%Highest
ME: 74.3%
72.3%Lowest
ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year
1975Lowest
2 yrs older than ME
1983Highest
6 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
24 minHighest
about the ME average
21 minLowest
14% below ME
Work from home
3.2%±2.6Lowest
ME: 15.9%
15.8%±7.6Highest
ME: 15.9%
Schools
School district — RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center
High school in town — Ecology Learning Ctr
Students per teacherat that high school —
12.4
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History 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.