Compare towns
Perham vs Unity vs Wade
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Perham has the most affordable homes ($118k median).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
Wade has the oldest housing (typical home built 1951).
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 | Perham | Unity | Wade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 326 |
1,858Highest |
244Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +9.2% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 53±12.9 18% above ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
53.6±18.5Highest 20% above ME |
| Wade and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.6%±8.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
16.4%±6.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Perham and Wade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.5%±2.3 ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
34.8%±10.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Wade and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 18.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
33.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.5%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
0.4%±4.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $62,500±$22k 16% below ME |
$62,857±$6kHighest 16% below ME |
$41,818±$25kLowest 44% below ME |
| Unity and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $117,600±$9kLowest 60% below ME |
$206,900±$28kHighest 30% below ME |
$157,100±$109k 47% below ME |
| Unity and Wade 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 | $1,641Lowest 46% below ME |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$1,655 45% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 33.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Unity and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
4.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
78.3% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 1 yr older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
34 minHighest 37% above ME |
| Work from home | 8.4%±7.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±6.8 ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Wade 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 | — |
| 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 | 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.