Compare towns
Unity vs Mars Hill vs Cornish
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%).
Mars Hill has the most kids (22.9% under 18).
Cornish has the most expensive homes ($274k median).
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 | Mars Hill | Cornish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,858Highest |
1,398Lowest |
1,803 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-8.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.5% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
43.4±3Highest 3% below ME |
39±8.5 13% below ME |
| Mars Hill and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
18.2%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
| Mars Hill and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±5.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.4%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Mars Hill and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.1% ME: 36.2% |
26%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±3.4 ME: 5.8% |
2.8%±1.4Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $62,857±$6kLowest 16% below ME |
$65,273±$9k 13% below ME |
$69,038±$4kHighest 8% below ME |
| Cornish and Mars Hill 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 |
$163,600±$23kLowest 45% below ME |
$274,200±$84kHighest 8% below ME |
| Cornish and Unity 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 |
$488±$96Lowest 57% below ME |
$1,196±$148Highest 5% above ME |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$1,843Lowest 39% below ME |
$2,309 24% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.8%±13 ME: 48.4% |
30.6%±7.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
48.8%±17.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Cornish and Unity 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% |
9.6% ME: 10.7% |
6.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3% ME: 74.3% |
70.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.1%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 14% below ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
31 minHighest 27% above ME |
| Work from home | 15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±6.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Cornish 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 | RSU 42/MSAD 42 | — |
| High school in town | Ecology Learning Ctr | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.4Highest |
8.0Lowest |
— |
| 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.