Compare towns
Unity vs Belfast vs Cornish vs Palmyra
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
Belfast has the oldest population (median age 60.6).
Cornish has the highest household income ($69k).
Palmyra has the most kids (29.2% under 18).
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 | Unity | Belfast | Cornish | Palmyra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,858 |
6,986Highest |
1,803Lowest |
2,209 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
+4% ME: +2.6% |
+7.5% ME: +2.6% |
-3.1%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
60.6±3.1Highest 35% above ME |
39±8.5 13% below ME |
37.1±4.8 17% below ME |
| Kids under 18 | 14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
14.2%±3.9 ME: 18.1% |
18.2%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
29.2%±5.8Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Age 65+ | 11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
39.1%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.4%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
16.7%±5.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.1% ME: 36.2% |
42.9%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21% ME: 36.2% |
13.8%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
1.1%±1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
2.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
4%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$67,679±$9k 9% below ME |
$69,038±$4kHighest 8% below ME |
$60,543±$17kLowest 19% below ME |
| Cornish and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $206,900±$28k 30% below ME |
$340,900±$34kHighest 15% above ME |
$274,200±$84k 8% below ME |
$154,900±$34kLowest 48% below ME |
| Belfast and Cornish 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 |
$962±$92 16% below ME |
$1,196±$148Highest 5% above ME |
$733±$119Lowest 36% below ME |
| Cornish and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,510 17% below ME |
$4,145Highest 37% above ME |
$2,309 24% below ME |
$1,614Lowest 47% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.8%±13Lowest ME: 48.4% |
47.4%±14.4 ME: 48.4% |
48.8%±17.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
47.2%±14.9 ME: 48.4% |
| Cornish and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
16% ME: 10.7% |
6.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.1% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3% ME: 74.3% |
68.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.1% ME: 74.3% |
82.6%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
1994Highest 17 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 14% below ME |
22 min 13% below ME |
31 minHighest 27% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
12%±6 ME: 15.9% |
8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
7.5%±4.1Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Belfast are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #84 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | RSU 71 | — | — |
| High school in town | Ecology Learning Ctr | Belfast Area High School | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.4Highest |
11.3Lowest |
— | — |
| 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.