Photo: InAweofGod'sCreation · CC BY 2.0Measured against area pay, Unity costs less to live in than 71% of U.S. towns
Up 4.5% in a year, 30% below the Maine typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Waldo County, ME ($73K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 1 sale in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across Waldo County earn ($73K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.8 years of area income, and 45% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $289Ktypical home, 30% below the Maine typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,390a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.8 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$73K, Waldo County income
- 14%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 29%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Unity
What’s behind Unity’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Unity is more affordable than 71% of U.S. towns. Property tax pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
30% of residents are college students, whose low reported incomes push up the share paying 30%+ for housing, so the grade leaves that input out.
Values have lagged Maine: the typical Unity home is up 16.9% in five years, against 26.8% statewide (Zillow).
Up 16.9% in five years
Slower than Maine (26.8%).
Show as a table
| January | Unity | Maine |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $158,000 | $205,000 |
| 2018 | $167,000 | $219,000 |
| 2019 | $181,000 | $232,000 |
| 2020 | $183,000 | $244,000 |
| 2021 | $215,000 | $285,000 |
| 2022 | $255,000 | $333,000 |
| 2023 | $269,000 | $364,000 |
| 2024 | $267,000 | $395,000 |
| 2025 | $274,000 | $408,000 |
| 2026 | $285,000 | $409,000 |
| September 2026 | $289,000 | $412,000 |
A typical Unity home worth $157K in October 2016 is worth about $289K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A year’s rent takes 14% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Unity’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $16K short of a typical Unity home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,390 a month here, $420 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Unity’s typical property tax (1.21% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,390
Renters already here pay a median of $873, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Kennebec County, ME): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
19 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 19 new homes in Unity in 2025: 15 single-family houses and 4 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $3.3 million to build. That's 10 per 1,000 residents, faster than across Maine (5.5). Over the past 10 years, Unity has permitted 54 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Unity gained 193 residents while 28 new homes were permitted: about 6.9 new residents per new home. Population grew faster than building, so existing homes filled up: a sign of tight supply. Across Maine: 0.9 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 12 | 9 | 3 | $2 million |
| 2025 | 19 | 15 | 4 | $3.3 million |
| 2024 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2023 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $645,000 |
| 2022 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $193,000 |
| 2021 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2020 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $112,000 |
| 2019 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $984,000 |
| 2018 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $984,000 |
| 2017 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $984,000 |
| 2016 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $984,000 |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $155,000 |
| 2014 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $155,000 |
| 2013 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $155,000 |
| 2012 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $155,000 |
| 2011 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $155,000 |
| 2010 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $155,000 |
| 2009 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $155,000 |
| 2008 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $155,000 |
| 2007 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $233,000 |
| 2006 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $233,000 |
| 2005 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $311,000 |
| 2004 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $311,000 |
| 2003 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $388,000 |
| 2002 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $388,000 |
| 2001 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $233,000 |
| 2000 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $466,000 |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $2,510, under the Maine median of $3,036, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 1.21% a year, against 1.02% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Unity vs. its neighbors
Of the 5 towns here with a Zillow value, Unity has the 4th-lowest. Knox has no Zillow value, so it is in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unity | B+ | $289K | $207K | 1.21% | $1,390 |
| Thorndike | – | $241K | $206K | 1.23% | $1,420 |
| Troy | B− | $258K | $213K | 0.82% | $1,880 |
| Freedom | – | $297K | $191K | 1.22% | $1,120 |
| Albion | B+ | $272K | $231K | 0.86% | $1,790 |
| Knox | – | — | $160K | 1.01% | $1,420 |
“—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents). “—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Unity
Is Unity expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Unity costs less than 71% of U.S. towns: a B+ for cost of living. The typical home costs 2.8 years of the median household income of Waldo County, ME ($73K).
How much does a house cost in Unity?
About $289K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 4.5% in a year. The Maine typical home is $412K.
What salary do you need to live in Unity?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $77,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,810 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $56,000.
How much is rent in Unity?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,390 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $873 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Unity?
The median bill is $2,510 a year, 1.21% of the median home value (Maine: $3,036, 1.02%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Unity going up?
Yes: up 4.5% in the past year and 16.9% in five years, against 26.8% across Maine (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Unity buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.