Compare towns
Unity vs Winthrop vs Cornish vs Somerville
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 shortest commute (21 min average).
Winthrop has the most people working from home (23.1%).
Cornish has the oldest housing (typical home built 1976).
Somerville has the most kids (28.8% 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 | Winthrop | Cornish | Somerville |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,858 |
6,191Highest |
1,803 |
837Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2% ME: +2.6% |
+0.5%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
+7.5% ME: +2.6% |
+9.5%Highest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
43.6±5.3Highest about the ME average |
39±8.5 13% below ME |
33.5±11.3 25% below ME |
| Winthrop 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%±5.6 ME: 18.1% |
18.2%±3.3 ME: 18.1% |
28.8%±7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Somerville and Winthrop 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% |
23.4%±5Highest ME: 22.4% |
17.4%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
13.7%±2.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Winthrop 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% |
40%Highest ME: 36.2% |
21%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
25.7% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.5%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
2.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $62,857±$6kLowest 16% below ME |
$86,470±$4kHighest 16% above ME |
$69,038±$4k 8% below ME |
$71,250±$15k 5% below ME |
| Winthrop and Somerville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $206,900±$28kLowest 30% below ME |
$294,800±$41kHighest about the ME average |
$274,200±$84k 8% below ME |
$218,100±$41k 26% below ME |
| Winthrop and Cornish 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 |
$892±$319 22% below ME |
$1,196±$148 5% above ME |
$1,583±$265Highest 39% above ME |
| Somerville and Cornish 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 |
$3,506Highest 15% above ME |
$2,309Lowest 24% below ME |
$2,505 17% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.8%±13Lowest ME: 48.4% |
50.8%±22.4 ME: 48.4% |
48.8%±17.5 ME: 48.4% |
65.7%±58.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Somerville and Winthrop 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% |
12.9% ME: 10.7% |
6.3%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
82.1% ME: 74.3% |
85.8% ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 6 yrs newer than ME |
1977 same as ME |
1976Lowest 1 yr older than ME |
1989Highest 12 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 14% below ME |
35 minHighest 41% above ME |
31 min 27% above ME |
27 min 9% above ME |
| Work from home | 15.8%±7.6 ME: 15.9% |
23.1%±6.7Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.5%±2.4 ME: 15.9% |
3.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Winthrop and Unity 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 | — | #12 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | RSU 03/MSAD 03 · Ecology Learning Center | Winthrop Public Schools | — | RSU 12 |
| High school in town | Ecology Learning Ctr | Winthrop High School | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.4Highest |
11.7Lowest |
— | — |
| 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.