Compare towns
Unity vs Strong vs Chapman
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 youngest population (median age 27.5).
Strong has the most people working from home (18.5%).
Chapman has the highest household income ($93k).
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 | Strong | Chapman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,858Highest |
1,249 |
388Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-7.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
47.5±8.9Highest 6% above ME |
45.7±11.4 about the ME average |
| Strong and Chapman 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% |
19.5%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
27.6%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Chapman and Strong 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% |
22%±4.1 ME: 22.4% |
27.6%±3.8Highest 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+ | 22.1%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
26.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.8% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.1%±1.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5.2%±2.6 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $62,857±$6k 16% below ME |
$47,557±$10kLowest 36% below ME |
$93,125±$17kHighest 25% above ME |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $206,900±$28kHighest 30% below ME |
$183,900±$29kLowest 38% below ME |
$185,700±$22k 37% below ME |
| Unity and Chapman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $873±$73Lowest 23% below ME |
$920±$276Highest 19% below ME |
— |
| Strong and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$1,950 36% below ME |
$1,850Lowest 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.8%±13Highest ME: 48.4% |
20.9%±52.4 ME: 48.4% |
0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
| Unity and Strong 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% |
13.9% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
84.6% ME: 74.3% |
94.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1971Lowest 6 yrs older than ME |
1982 5 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 14% below ME |
31 minHighest 26% above ME |
23 min 6% below ME |
| Work from home | 15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
18.5%±9.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Strong and Unity 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 58/MSAD 58 | — |
| High school in town | Ecology Learning Ctr | None in town | — |
| 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.