Compare towns
Somerville vs Temple vs Unity vs Chesterville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Somerville has the highest household income ($71k).
Temple has the most homeowners (92.7%).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
Chesterville has the oldest population (median age 37.8).
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.
| Measure | Somerville | Temple | Unity | Chesterville |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 837 |
824Lowest |
1,858Highest |
1,397 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-0.2% ME: +2.6% |
+9.2% ME: +2.6% |
-1.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 33.5±11.3 25% below ME |
34±14 24% below ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
37.8±4Highest 16% below ME |
| Chesterville and Temple are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 28.8%±7 ME: 18.1% |
32.8%±7.2Highest ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
31.3%±6.6 ME: 18.1% |
| Temple and Chesterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 13.7%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
15%±6.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
15%±3Highest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 25.7%Highest ME: 36.2% |
13.2%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
20.4% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.8%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±2.1 ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.3%±2 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $71,250±$15kHighest 5% below ME |
$56,087±$2kLowest 25% below ME |
$62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$61,635±$10k 18% below ME |
| Somerville and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $218,100±$41kHighest 26% below ME |
$210,200±$79k 29% below ME |
$206,900±$28kLowest 30% below ME |
$214,000±$40k 28% below ME |
| Somerville and Chesterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,583±$265Highest 39% above ME |
$1,458±$565 28% above ME |
$873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$1,088±$73 4% below ME |
| Somerville and Temple are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,505 17% below ME |
$2,367 22% below ME |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$2,194Lowest 28% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 65.7%±58.5 ME: 48.4% |
73.3%±70.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
21.8%±30.8Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Temple and Somerville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 17% ME: 10.7% |
10.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.8% ME: 74.3% |
92.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
86.4% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
1966Lowest 11 yrs older than ME |
1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 9% above ME |
34 minHighest 37% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 3.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
7.5%±8.4 ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
7.1%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Temple are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | RSU 12 | — | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | — |
| High school in town | None 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 | 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.