Compare towns
Strong vs Chapman vs Union
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Chapman has the shortest commute (23 min average).
Union has the most expensive homes ($268k median).
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 | Strong | Chapman | Union |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,249 |
388Lowest |
2,663Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— | +5.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
45.7±11.4 about the ME average |
41.6±5.3Lowest 7% below ME |
| Strong and Chapman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.5%±3.5Lowest ME: 18.1% |
27.6%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
24.9%±4 ME: 18.1% |
| Chapman and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
27.6%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
21.4%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Chapman and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 26.5% ME: 36.2% |
22.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
34.4%Highest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±1.5 ME: 5.8% |
| Chapman and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $47,557±$10kLowest 36% below ME |
$93,125±$17kHighest 25% above ME |
$80,724±$9k 8% above ME |
| Chapman and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $183,900±$29kLowest 38% below ME |
$185,700±$22k 37% below ME |
$267,600±$42kHighest 10% below ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $920±$276Lowest 19% below ME |
— | $1,179±$452Highest 4% above ME |
| Union and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,950 36% below ME |
$1,850Lowest 39% below ME |
$3,276Highest 8% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 20.9%±52.4 ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
24.6%±19.8Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Union and Strong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.9%Highest ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.2% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 84.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
85.9% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME |
1979 2 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 26% above ME |
23 minLowest 6% below ME |
29 min 20% above ME |
| Work from home | 18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
15.9%±5.3 ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Union are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 58/MSAD 58 | — | RSU 40/MSAD 40 |
| High school in town | None in town | — | None in town |
| 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.