Compare towns
Wade vs Unity vs Perham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wade has the oldest housing (typical home built 1951).
Unity has the most people working from home (15.8%).
Perham has the most affordable homes ($118k 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 | Wade | Unity | Perham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 244Lowest |
1,858Highest |
326 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +9.2% ME: +2.6% |
— |
| Median age | 53.6±18.5Highest 20% above ME |
27.5±2.2Lowest 39% below ME |
53±12.9 18% above ME |
| Wade and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±6.7 ME: 18.1% |
14%±3.6Lowest ME: 18.1% |
19.6%±8.5Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Perham and Wade are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 34.8%±10.8Highest ME: 22.4% |
11.8%±3Lowest ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±2.3 ME: 22.4% |
| Wade and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.2%Highest ME: 36.2% |
22.1% ME: 36.2% |
18.7%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.4%±4.6Lowest ME: 5.8% |
30%±4.3Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.5%±1.9 ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $41,818±$25kLowest 44% below ME |
$62,857±$6kHighest 16% below ME |
$62,500±$22k 16% below ME |
| Unity and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $157,100±$109k 47% below ME |
$206,900±$28kHighest 30% below ME |
$117,600±$9kLowest 60% below ME |
| Unity and Wade 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 |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,655 45% below ME |
$2,510Highest 17% below ME |
$1,641Lowest 46% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest ME: 48.4% |
44.8%±13Highest ME: 48.4% |
33.3%±100 ME: 48.4% |
| Unity and Perham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.2% ME: 10.7% |
17.3%Highest ME: 10.7% |
2.5%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.3% ME: 74.3% |
72.3%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
92.5%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1951Lowest 26 yrs older than ME |
1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME |
1976 1 yr older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 34 minHighest 37% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
25 min about the ME average |
| Work from home | 10.1%±6.8 ME: 15.9% |
15.8%±7.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
8.4%±7.2Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Unity and Wade 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 | — |
| High school in town | — | Ecology Learning Ctr | — |
| 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.